Valar Morghulis, Valar Dohaeris
by OneBinToRuleThemAll
Summary: The Elves of Vana were a powerful race thought long dead, that is until young engineers Dany and Charlie appear in Rivendell. What is the true purpose of their appearance? Is it to aid the Fellowship in destroying the One Ring, or to burn the world that deserted their kin? Legolas/OC Glorfindel/OC Elements from A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones)
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

_Arrows rained from the darkened sky like raindrops and fell to the hardened ground, piercing flesh and armour. Warriors were desperately trying to fend off the unforgiving army who were mercilessly slaughtering the elves who fled their burning and crumbling homes. The flourishing Elven city was brought to its knees by the Army of Darkness, a bloodthirsty group of Uruk-Hai and other creatures of shadow who swore revenge on the Northern Elves who had destroyed their stronghold._

_Deep in the caves of the Vanerian Palace in the clear sparkling pools, the Queen sobbed as she placed her only son and daughter along with other Vanerian children into the crystal blue of the water. The babes were crying for their mothers as the elf chanted an ancient Vanerian incantation and the pool whipped into a deadly whirlpool, glistening turquoise and foaming around the children._

_"Be safe our little ones, and may the Valar grant you a life of happiness in the mortal world of Earth until you are needed here once more," the Queen whispered to the water while a single tear dropped from her blue eyes. The infants disappeared under the ripples and vanished just as the heavy doors flung open and creatures black as night swarmed the underground caves and cackled their maniacal laughter when they slit the Queen's throat, an ark of dark red splattering the white tiles of the floor._

_Screams filled the night sky as the city of Vana fell to the hands of its enemies, yet the cries were silent to the rest of Middle Earth._


	2. Chapter 1

"Hurry up Dany, we're gonna be late!" Charlotte Malelenil screamed up the staircase. The young woman grabbed her keys from the table, slid into her coat and sighed.

"I'm coming!" her best friend of twenty two years shouted back. Daniella Aeratail thundered down the stairs and pulled on her tattered red Converse, thanking Charlotte when she passed her coat into her hands.

"Why didn't you set your alarm?" Charlotte asked exasperatingly when the two friends dashed out of the door.

"I don't know! I guess I forgot to set it last night," Dany replied and ran to the stairs leading from the small corridor.

"Typical," Charlotte groaned.

"Hey, you still love me, don't you Charlie?" Dany teased and bounded down the stairs three at a time.

"I've known you all my life, but if we're late on our first day I won't hesitate to kill you," Charlie warned and playfully pushed Dany.

"Oi!" shouted Dany and they both laughed. The two women finally made it to the ground floor of their block of flats and left the building, shielding their faces from the light drizzle. It was another grey day in the city of London, which had been their home for the past four years of their lives. "If we get the Tube in the next two minutes we could make it on time!" Dany yelled behind her.

"If you had only set your alarm we wouldn't even have to run!" huffed Charlie and turned the corner into their local Underground station. They pushed their Oyster cards onto the buttons and the barriers opened, letting them pass through onto the busy platform just as a train slowed next to the platform and a crowd of darkly dressed workers swarmed into the already busy carriages, carrying Dany and Charlie with them. There were no seats left so the friends had to stand, still breathing heavily from their last minute sprint. Dany was chuckling slightly and Charlie shot her a look. "What?" Dany asked and Charlie rolled her eyes, making Dany chuckle louder.

The doors of the train opened and the two girls left the carriage and ran up onto another grey and bustling street, heading for the tall building opposite the station. They ducked under the doorway and went through the sliding glass doors and found themselves in a large and clean reception. "Do I look alright?" Charlie asked worriedly and ran her fingers through her light brown shoulder length hair.

"You look fine," Dany replied as she also tried to flatten her slightly curly and wild dark brown hair.

"No mascara running or foundation lines?" Charlie questioned and smoothed her hair. Dany shook her head and checked her reflection in the windows, satisfied that she didn't look too bad. Charlie strode up to the neat and tidy reception desk and cleared her throat. The blonde receptionist looked up from her computer and smiled. "How can I help you?" she said in a sickly-sweet voice.

"Uh, yeah, my name is Charlotte Malelenil and this is Daniella Aeratail, we're starting work today," Charlie replied. Dany wandered behind her, admiring the modern décor and the smooth marble floors.

"Oh yes, you're right on time. Dr Jacobs will be pleased to see you," the receptionist smiled and handed Charlie two name badges. "You have unusual names," the woman remarked.

"Yeah, we're not entirely sure where they're from, but we get that a lot," said Dany and put the badge around her neck.

"He's on the thirtieth floor," the blonde told them and the two girls thanked her. They stepped into the lift and punched the floor number in, shuffling nervously when the doors closed.

"Nervous?" Dany asked her friend.

"Slightly," Charlie replied and smiled. In truth, her stomach was doing flip-flops and she wanted to go home. Dany felt even more nervous than her younger friend, but she had always been the least confident of the girls since they were little. Even though they had met Dr Jacobs and liked him, this would be their first proper job (not including the Saturday jobs they had worked in college and during their teens) and a first taster of the working world. The doors opened with a ping and they stepped into a modern and expensive laboratory, making the girls gasp with wonder.

The smooth glass worktops were large and held touchscreens to record notes, and were spread throughout the large lab that took up the whole floor. Various tools were stored in a large glass case on the East wall, including simple items like screwdrivers and more complex items like laser saws. By the West wall there were many more pieces of equipment, like vacuums and larger saws to cut metal, and next to the girls was a rack of pristine white lab coats and protective eyewear. There was no wall in front of the girls, only a large and stainless window that gave a magnificent view of the many skyscrapers of the Capital. "Charlie! Dany! Welcome to LondonTech industries!" boomed a deep voice. Dr Jacobs appeared in front of the girls and eagerly shook their hands, grinning like an excited five-year old.

"Thanks, Dr Jacobs, it's an honour working here," Charlie stuttered as she looked around her new workplace.

"It's a pleasure! A pleasure!" Jacobs shouted. "There are coats over there, so put one on and I will give you the grand tour!"

Dany and Charlie put on the coats and Jacobs gestured to follow him. "It takes some getting used to, but by the end of the week you will probably know your way around," Jacobs began, "In this room there is research into cross-species genetics and stem cell regrowth," he pointed to a room on the left, filled with microscopes and other machines with more people in white coats rushing around. Dany and Charlie had both been offered by many universities to train in medicine but they had chosen sustainable engineering (both were extremely squeamish when it came to real-life situations). "I trust you're not into medicine?" Jacobs teased. Dany and Charlie both shook their heads with disgust. The Doctor led them down a long corridor into a long and thin room which had firing ranges and mats, where one worker was testing a Taser. "This is the test room, where you can test your creations and tweak them," Jacobs continued. The male worker shot the Taser and it struck the dummy with such high voltage it sizzled and smoke rose from the material, setting off the fire alarms. "Christ Jerome, now you've fuckin' done it!" A voice shouted from an overlooking glass box. Charlie and Dany covered their ears to block out the high pitched ringing, whereas Jacobs just laughed and turned the alarms off. A young man with dark brown hair, stubble and bright blue eyes galloped down the stairs onto the rage and fiddled with the gun, smacking his partner in irritation. "Jerome, you were only supposed to set it to 120 volts, not fuckin' 12000!" he screamed in an Irish lilt.

"Sorry Kev, don't know what came over me," Jerome replied and turned to Jacobs with a cheeky grin plastered on his face, and winked at the girls.

Charlie and Dany stifled a giggle as they followed Jacobs back into the corridor and up a set of stairs, passing more people in lab coats on the way. "This here is my own office, where my colleagues pitch new ideas to me," Jacobs told them and starting playing with a Newton's Cradle on his desk. Charlie and Dany sat down on the acid orange sofa, admiring the extensive book collection in the room. Abstract paintings were also hanging on the white walls, and another large window gave a perfect view of the small green park next to the building. LondonTech Industries was definitely not short of money. "So, have you got anything for me?" Jacobs asked and clapped his hands together.

"Uh, well, we've had these plans since we enrolled in uni…" Charlie began and rummaged in her handbag while Dany copied and brought out a folder filled with drawings, formulae, calculations and plans. She handed them to Jacobs who flicked through them, admiring the detail and intrigued by the idea. "So it's quantum field theory, so making quantum mechanical models with subatomic particles in the condensed theory of physics," Charlie explained while Dany pointed to the drawings.

"So a quantum field generator?" Jacobs asked.

"Exactly," Dany clarified.

"And you think this is possible?" enquired Jacobs.

"Yeah, we have an equation we've been working on for the past three years," Charlie pointed to a long and complex sequence on the paper.

"This looks… complicated," Jacobs looked at the paper, "Even by Oxford standards," he added and chuckled.

"But… you think we can pull it off?" Dany asked, doubting herself.

"Of course I think you can, you have everything you need here," Jacobs handed Dany the papers and leaned back on his chair. "I'll assemble a team for you right away. A project this size needs more brains." Dany and Charlie nodded in agreement. "And I know for a fact Jerome and Kevin aren't doing anything productive," Jacobs sighed, making Charlie and Dany chuckle.

"We'll set up straight away," Charlie told him and they dismissed themselves.

"Jesus Christ Jerome, don't put that shit near me," Kev sneered and shoved his friend away. Jerome was currently walking around the lab with a tub of toxic looking goo which he had to deliver to the BioTech room, but was finding great joy in grossing everyone out with the substance. "Good god, what is that?" said Dany and wrinkled her nose after catching a whiff of the stuff.

"God knows," Jerome replied and sniffed it and wretched in disgust. "Whoa, that's funky,"

"Come on guys, we need to get this all sorted," Charlie scolded while frantically scribbling numbers on both the touchscreen table top and whiteboard.

"Need any help?" A shy intern called Harry asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Charlie replied and smiled, handing her iPad to Harry to let him note down the equation. "See, Harry is being useful,"

"Shut up Charlie, we're being _plenty _useful," Dany teased. "Crap Jerome! You almost spilled that on me!" Dany shouted and threw her hand in the air. Jerome mumbled and apology and wandered off to the BioTech room to deliver the package he should had done half an hour ago.

"Right, what's the plan?" Dany asked and clapped her hands like Jacobs.

"First we need to refine the equation to make it as safe as possible before we start to test it," Charlie answered and finished writing the equation on the board.

"Oh shit, I, uh, need the toilet…" Kev declared and excused himself to go to the loo.

"Harry, Jacobs said you're the best here at numbers," Dany pointed to the young man.

"Really? Well, I guess so…" he started and pushed his glassed back up his nose.

"Yup, so you're gonna be our main man for the next few weeks," said Dany and she sat down on a lab stool.

"That'd be… great, I guess," Harry replied and he too sat down, having spent the last two hours chasing Kev and Jerome around the whole building complex. "This stuff you've written… I would have never thought of it," Harry almost whispered while he looked over the papers again.

"Thanks," Charlie cut in, "It was a bit of an accident when we thought of it,"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were messing around with formulae for A-Level and this happened," Dany answered and pulled a napkin out of her purple folder. She passed it to Harry who opened it up and read the short equation scrawled in purple ink on the slightly stained paper. "We wrote that in McDonald's," Dany added with a chuckle. Charlie smiled at the memory when she and Dany had a sudden brainwave while eating their fries during the summer they started Sixth Form College.

"That's brilliant," Harry mused and gave the napkin back to Dany who folded it up neatly and slipped it back inside the folder.

"Now, who's hungry?"

After a quick lunch of chips, Dany and Charlie were soon back to work in the lab, scurrying around the place with pens, paper and dictating Harry and Jerome. The next few weeks were mainly going to be refining the equation the girls had written, so Harry was extremely busy with punching numbers into his calculator and writing them down in a dark green school-style exercise book. Jerome was trying his hardest to be involved and to help, even though numbers weren't one of his strengths. Charlie looked over to Jerome hovering over Harry's shoulder and suggesting ideas to try, Harry clearly slightly irritated by the intrusion. _Bless him_, Charlie thought to herself and turned back to the whiteboard. Kev had not appeared since his 'trip' to the toilet, in which Jerome explained his disappearance. "Kev isn't one for numbers or equations," he had told them over lunch "He's much more into the making and testing," Dany understood this completely so didn't chase it up; Kev would appear when they really needed him. Dany herself was working on the plans for the generator and working out the scale. They would start at a medium size, so like the size of the touchscreen tables. Jacobs quickly turned out to be a very involved boss, constantly appearing at the work station to offer his knowledge and expertise. He would also wander off to other departments to lend his help, but engineering was his passion and 'true love' as Harry put it. Jacobs had earned his two degrees, doctorate and Master's at Oxford University during the late Nineties and began LondonTech industries to look for young and promising minds to support the future, but he kept on the older staff who had contributed so much to the company. Jason Matthews was one of these, and he had taken a particular interest in the ambitious project, though he had his own team of engineers to run. They were working on an even more complex sustainable energy project, and Dany knew for a fact that their paycheques had to be in the six figures. There was a lot of money in these projects, which was why the company had tripled in size during the last decade, along with demand from the Government to research new ideas. Jacobs joked that he was the Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire, before Charlie politely reminded him that the Emperor had been stabbed in his sleep, which had promptly quieted him. "Jesus, it's almost seven o'clock!" Charlie exclaimed. Harry and Dany looked up from their papers and glanced at their phones, cursing when they saw the time. "I think this is a wrap guys, great job today," Charlie told them and clapped Harry on the back.

"How about we go get some drinks?" Jerome suggested as he took off his lab coat.

"Sounds like a plan," Dany agreed and pulled on her leather jacket. Charlie and Harry nodded while they too put their jackets on and headed down stairs, waving to Jacobs who was having a discussion with a client. Jerome texted Kev to meet them at the local pub, _The Prancing Pony_, and to bring extra cash for the drinks.

The small group dashed across the road (narrowly avoiding being rundown by a taxi) and ran down a few side streets, splashing in puddles and kicking stones before they stumbled into the old doorway of the pub, where Kev had saved them a table at the back. He waved them over and ordered five pints of the finest beer they had, an import from _The_ _Green Dragon_ which was another pub across the city. "Whew, what a day," Dany sighed as she collapsed into the booth. Their beers were brought and everyone sat up and leant into the middle. "To new friendships," Dany held up her glass.

"And new adventures!" Charlie added.

"And to new ideas!" Harry contributed as he held up his pint glass.

"To new projects!" said Jerome as he too held his glass.

"AND TO BIGGER PAYCHEQUES!" Kev shouted and chinked his glass against the others while the group laughed.

"Cheers!"

* * *

Several beers and hours later the group began to disperse. Harry left first to finish a paper and to get some sleep for his lectures the next day, and Jerome and Kevin had decided to go on a pub crawl across the city. Charlie and Dany sat at the bar drinking their last pint, only just managing to stay together. "This is gonna be our big break," Charlie slurred as she put her arm around Dany. "I can feel it,"

"Me too," Dany agreed. "Maybe it's time to head back, it's fucking 2am," Dany groaned and slung her rucksack over her shoulder. Charlie picked up her jacket and bag and left a twenty pound note on the bar for the drinks. The two girls stumbled into the street and began the slow walk home, chatting about the latest episode of The Walking Dead. "FUCK!" Dany screamed.

"What?" Charlie snapped, startled at Dany's sudden outburst.

"I forgot our papers! I left them in the lab!"

"Aw Christ, Dany, why do you forget everything!" Charlie groaned. "Just be grateful that Jacobs works long hours!"

"I know, I know," Dany said with a wave of her hand. It had begun to rain and the wind was picking up speed when the girls sprinted back to the building, pressing the buzzer and declaring themselves. Surprisingly, Jacobs didn't answer, but the doors opened. Thinking nothing of it in their slightly intoxicated state the girls ran into the lift to get to the thirtieth floor. Muttering about her friend's irresponsibility, Charlie didn't notice the dark lighting of the building and the heavy rain outside. The lift opened and Dany ran over the table top where she had left her purple folder, murmuring her thanks to Jacobs who had not disturbed them. "Come on, let's go," Charlie said impatiently. Dany was about to step into the lift when a shadow in the corridor caught her eye.

"Dr Jacobs?" she called. The figure didn't turn around and proceeded to walk quickly down the corridor. Dany was about to follow when Charlie caught her arm. "Don't," she hissed. "Don't worry about it,"

"But it might be an intruder," Dany hissed back and yanked her arm out of Charlie's grip. She stuffed the folder in her bag and followed the figure down the hallway, the alcohol within her giving her more confidence, and saw the figure glide up another set of stairs. Charlie hesitated then ran after Dany, pulling her jacket and bag tighter around her body.

Dany silently followed the figure up four more flights of stairs, curious as to where this person was heading. Her blue eyes widened when there were no more stairs, only a door leading to the roof, in which the figure went through. "Oh shit…" Dany muttered when Charlie stood beside her, panting slightly from running up the stairs. Dany took her phone out from her pocket and prepared to dial 999, slowly edging up the stairs and onto the roof.

"Are you crazy?" Charlie whispered harshly, the smell of alcohol lingering in her breath. Dany turned to face her and pointed at her phone.

"If something goes wrong, I'm calling 999. You never know, it might just be a colleague who fell asleep and is sleepwalking," Dany reassured her, but Charlie wasn't convinced. Dany pushed open the door and the rain seeped in. The girls shielded their eyes as they shuffled out of the door, holding onto their bags and phones as if their lives depended on it. "Hey!" Charlie shouted at the figure that stood on the edge of the roof. "HEY!" she shouted again. The rain was coming down like no tomorrow and the wind was so strong the women had to cling to each other, yet the figure stood rock solid on the edge. "Who are you?" Dany shouted against the wind. Slowly, the figure turned around and lifted their hood from their face. Dany and Charlie gasped. Even in the poor visibility, the girls could tell the figure before them was an incredibly beautiful woman. She had clear, creamy porcelain skin, with high cheekbones and full pink lips, her hair was long, golden and silky, and parts had been braided away from her face, and she had eyes as blue as the sea. She was tall and slender, and radiated a grace that neither girl had seen before. Slightly taken aback, Charlie cleared her throat and yelled, "Hey, you might want to step away from that edge. It isn't safe," the figure ever so slightly stepped away, allowing the girls to get a clearer view of her. Something wasn't quite right, the woman had unusually pointed ears, and when she unclasped her soaked velvet cloak, it exposed a long and nasty red gash across her pale throat.

"Oh my God!" Dany shrieked, "We have to call an ambulance!"

The young woman fumbled with her phone but couldn't contact the emergency services. "What? We're in the middle of fucking London! Why isn't there any fucking reception?"

"Hush," The figure finally spoke, with a voice so melodic and clear it stunned Dany and Charlie. "Charlotte Malelenil?" She asked.

"Uh, y-yes," Charlie started. The figure smiled, showing a set of straight and pearly white teeth. The woman stepped forwards again, yet Dany and Charlie didn't dare move. A clap of thunder made them jump, and the figure silently laughed as a streak of lightning illuminated her beautiful features and danced across the rain soaked rooftop.

"Middle Earth is in great danger," the figure spoke softly.

Dany snorted, "What the fuck is Middle Earth?"

"Your home," the figure replied in her soft, velvety voice.

"Our home?" Charlie asked then laughed. "Listen, we'll get you to a hospital if you come with us,"

"No," the woman interrupted, and stepped backwards. "I speak nothing but the truth. Middle Earth is in great need, and your fate, here in this world, is tied to the fate of Middle Earth. The power of the Vanerian Elves are needed once more, just for one last time,"

Dany was speechless. This woman was really off her rocker, but she couldn't help the feeling of believing every word she said.

"What do you mean?" Charlie screamed into the howling wind, stepping forwards suddenly and striding towards the woman. "You need help! Let us help you!"

"It is not I who you will be helping," the figure replied.

"But who are you?" Dany shouted, also stepping forward to be side by side with her best friend.

"I am Amarel Tulith, Queen of Vana and the Vanerian Elves," the woman said with great pride.

"Screw this; you're off your rocker!" Charlie spat and turned to walk away when a strong hand locked her in place and she froze.

"Do not doubt me or yourself, pen tithen," the woman said softly.

"Get off me!" Charlie shook her arm but the woman wouldn't budge. "You're crazy!"

"Calm down Charlie, you'll hurt yourself!" Dany shouted as the wind blew into her face. "Get off her!" she screamed. A low rumble of thunder sounded throughout the city as the rain started to come down heavier and faster. The woman finally let go of Charlie and stepped back towards the edge. "Don't jump!" the girls yelled.

"Soon you will know your place in this world and the other," the woman whispered, turned, and disappeared.

"NO!" Charlie and Dany screamed and ran towards the edge, looking down into the park where there was no sign of the woman.

"Where'd she go?" Dany panicked and Charlie shrugged, tears streaming down her face.

"She can't have just disappeared!" Dany shouted exasperatingly. Charlie shook her head and Dany shouted, "We have to call the police!" Dany leant against the wall and tried to get her phone out of her pocket when a clap of thunder struck the metal tower on the roof, blowing Dany and Charlie backwards and over the ledge.

"DANY!" Charlie screamed as the metal as the two girls clung to the metal barrier.

"CHARLIE! I'M SLIPPING! I CAN'T HOLD ON!" Dany choked out as she desperately tried to claw her way back onto the barrier, but it was no use. With one final strangled scream, the two girls fell to the park below, the words of the Queen ringing in their minds, a final clap of thunder sounding before everything went black.


	3. Chapter 2

Charlie awoke with a start. Blinding white light shone in her blue eyes, making her recoil and close her eyes again. Every bone in her body throbbed with pain, and the painful headache she had made her dizzy, yet she was unharmed. Her trembling fingers stretched out to feel soft and slightly damp dirt. They found a leaf on the floor, and she gently stroked it, feeling the crisp texture and the coolness of the ground. Frowning, Charlie sat up, making her head spin. "What the hell?" she slowly opened her eyes, and let out a strangled cry. She wasn't in her warm bed, or even in her flat for that matter. Panicking, she turned behind her and realised she was alone in a large and dense forest with no sign of civilisation. How did she get all the way out in the countryside? Had she been transported, or kidnapped-

Dany.

Dany wasn't with her.

Real panic started to set in as Charlie began to breathe quicker and heavier, making her lightheaded and sick. "Oh God, oh God…" she muttered and stood up. She swayed to the side when her legs gave way, clinging onto a nearby tree to catch herself. "DANY!" she screamed. "DANY!" the birds above in the treetops screeched and flew away. "Oh no, oh no…" Charlie muttered. "DANY!" she screamed hoarsely again. Regaining some sense of balance she stumbled blindly into the undergrowth, tripping over tree roots and cursing when thorns ripped her legs to ribbons. Charlie soon started crying, and tried to blink away the tears that brimmed in her eyes. "DANY!" Charlie desperately screamed again. She collapsed against a tree, letting the tears fall from her puffy eyes. Her last memories were that of the mysterious 'Queen', the storm and the thunder striking the metal mast which made her and Dany fall over the edge of the building. Charlie sobbed into her hands, draining herself of what little energy she had in the first place. But when she closed her eyes, all she could see was Dany's panicked face and her last words…

_-"CHARLIE! I'M SLIPPING! I CAN'T HOLD ON!" Dany choked out as she desperately tried to claw her way back onto the barrier, but it was no use._-

Charlie opened her eyes again and stood up, wiping the tears away. Firstly, she would find Dany and then the two would figure out how to get back home. That was if Dany was alive… Charlie shook her head to rid her mind of those thoughts. Feeling stronger, Charlie rose and looked to the sky, seeing the sun and looking around, deciding it was late morning. There was plenty of time until sunset. Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she held up her phone to try and get reception. She tried calling Dany, but there was no network for her phone to use. She kicked a nearby tree stump in frustration but yelped when jolts of pain shot up her still aching limbs, but she blinked away the tears, and she trudged on. Branches scratched her face and twigs tangled in her highlighted hair, making the trek a nightmare as she tried to desperately see where she was going. After ten minutes of blind walking every tree, bush and stump looked the same, disorientating the young city woman. There was no road, not even a hiking trail, that Charlie could see which dampened her hopes of finding a town or village. As she stumbled on, Charlie quickly dehydrated herself as she went deeper into the forest, with no clue where to find water when she had found none in her bag. Feeling dizzy, Charlie leant against another tree, which was when she felt the nausea wash over her. She ducked into a nearby bush and vomited the alcohol and chips into the leaves, making her throat burn and the tears sting even more, then the young woman collapsed into the dirt, choking on her own tears. Charlie curled up into a foetal position, tucking her head between her knees to try and make the pain stop. Her head felt as though her skull was being smashed in from the inside and her ears were ringing, her eyes were unfocused and her vision was blurry as she succumbed to unconsciousness. "I'm sorry Dany," she choked out, "I'm so sorry."

Glorfindel was out on patrol of the walls when he heard crying. His sharp sense of hearing allowed him to pinpoint the sound of the sobs to across the river and in the unprotected forest of Rivendell, where no ellon or ellith should be. _Curious,_ Glorfindel thought to himself and whistled for Asfaloth, his horse, to come over. He swiftly mounted the snow white steed and it burst into a steady trot across the river and into the trees, Glorfindel's elf eyes searching as it went.

The emerald green trees swayed in the gentle gusts of wind while the curious elf and his horse trotted along a narrow and winding dirt path. It was a beautiful day in the valley of Rivendell, the sky was cornflower blue and the sun was shining high amongst the wisps of cloud, causing shadows of the tall trees to dance across the ground. Glorfindel led Asfaloth off the track and towards the direction of the crying. It was definitely a woman that was sobbing, and uncontrollably from the sound of it. But then it promptly stopped and Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. His hand drifted to the hilt of his sword and he urged Asfaloth forward. A putrid smell filled the air and Glorfindel drew his weapon. _Not as bad as an orc,_ Glorfindel thought, _but still not very pleasant_. He dismounted Asfaloth and crept closer to a large tree where the odour was coming from and prepared for a fight, but something caught his eye.

In a bundle of nettle plants near his feet a shiny object caught the light of the sun and reflected it across the ground. Hesitantly, Glorfindel picked it up and held it in front of his face, studying the bizarre object. It was a rectangular shape and made of some light metal, and smooth glass covered one side of it with a strange button at the bottom and a tiny hole near the top, and had strange decoration on the back in the form of little gems. He examined it closer, and found that there were other small buttons along the sides of this strange thing. Glorfindel gently pressed the largest button on the shiny rectangle but jumped back in surprise when numbers flashed up on the glass. The Elf dropped the rectangle on the ground and drew his sword in front of him, ready for what this witchcraft would bring. The rectangle stayed motionless on the ground, with no sound or flashing, so Glorfindel stepped forward and flipped it over, seeing that the numbers had disappeared. He picked it up again and slipped it into the inside of his tunic, smiling to find that it was slightly warm. Quiet and shaky breaths alerted Glorfindel back to his original agenda and he crept towards the tree again, where the smell was worse and the breathing was coming from. The elf slowly made his way over to the roots of the tree, pausing to look into another bush, where he pushed apart the leaves and wrinkled his nose when he saw the vomit. Glorfindel drew his sword out again and ran around the side of the tree with agility and grace but frowned at the sight in front of him.

Nestled into a crook in the twisting roots was a young woman, weapon less and vulnerable. Glorfindel sighed and crouched beside her. "Milady?" he whispered in Westeron. "Are you awake?" When there was no answer the elf frowned again and turned the woman over onto her back. She wore strange clothing of odd materials, her shoes were like none he had seen before, and her hair was of two colours. "Milady?" he repeated again and tried to shake her awake. Charlie spluttered and opened her eyes, just to be blinded again by the sunlight.

"Ugh, where am I?" Charlie croaked out. Her throat hurt like hell and her mouth felt like the Sahara desert.

"You do not know?" Glorfindel enquired. At the sound of his voice Charlie jumped and backed into the tree, fear etched across her face.

"Who are you?!" she shouted, "What do you want with me?"

"Hush, I mean you no harm," Glorfindel soothed.

"Are you the creepy woman that brought me here?" Charlie shouted. Glorfindel laughed (though he was slightly offended) and shook his head.

"I am not a woman," Glorfindel corrected her and Charlie squinted.

"But-but, your hair…" she whispered and feebly pointed to Glorfindel's long golden locks.

"It is traditional for all Elves to grow out their hair," Glorfindel replied, "Have you not seen it before?"

"Elves?" Charlie whispered, "ELVES?" she repeated in a louder tone.

"Is something wrong, milady?" Glorfindel asked.

"OF COURSE THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG!" Charlie screamed at him and Glorfindel frowned again. "Where am I?" she repeated through gritted teeth.

"Rivendell," Glorfindel answered and his forehead creased further.

"I'm hoping that Rivendell is an unknown village in England…" the young woman muttered quietly.

"No, milady, you must be confused. Rivendell is here in Middle Earth," Glorfindel clarified.

Charlie started to panic again when she remembered the Queen's words. "Oh God, oh no…"

_-"Middle Earth is in great danger," the figure spoke softly._

_Dany snorted, "What the fuck is Middle Earth?" _

"_Your home," the figure replied in her soft, velvety voice._

"_Our home?" Charlie asked then laughed.-_

Charlie felt the nausea wash over her body again. "Do you really not know where you are?" Glorfindel asked.

"No! I'm not from Middle Earth! I can't have been transported to another world!" Charlie shouted. She started hitting her forehead with her palms to try and 'wake' herself up. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Milady, stop!" cried Glorfindel and he caught her wrists in a death-like grip. "Are you truly not from Middle Earth?" the elf asked Charlie who shook her head.

"I'm-I'm from Earth, from a city in England called London," Charlie stammered. "If this is some sort of sick joke-"

"I assure you milady, this is no joke," Glorfindel reassured her and released her wrists. Charlie looked up from her hands, finally drinking in the elf before her. He was incredibly handsome, and held that ethereal beauty the mysterious 'Queen' had. The elf's skin was pale and clear, his eyes were light and sparkling, and his face structure was like those of a Greek God's. Her eyes drifted over to his pointed ears, and down to the sword in his hand. Charlie gulped. "Who-who are you?" she whispered.

"I am Glorfindel of Rivendell," Glorfindel spoke proudly, "And will you give me your name?"

Charlie hesitated before answering. Her mind screamed at her to not tell her name to a stranger (especially one who had pointed ears and held a sword) but she needed help.

"Charlotte Malelenil," Charlie told him, "but call me Charlie," Glorfindel's eyebrow rose slightly but he nodded. _This will certainly be of interest to Lord Elrond,_ Glorfindel thought to himself. Charlie extended her hand for Glorfindel to shake, but to her surprise he took her hand and brought it to his lips, making her blush. "As you wish, Lady Charlie," said Glorfindel and he smirked at the red that tinged her cheeks.

Suddenly, realisation hit her like a rock.

"Dany!" Charlie screamed.

"I beg your pardon?" Glorfindel asked as his brow creased again.

"My friend Dany fell with me too…" Charlie began while she desperately scanned her surroundings.

"Fell?" Glorfindel enquired. This was certainly interesting.

"It's a long story, but she's somewhere out here in these woods," Charlie tried to stand up but her legs were too weak to support her weight. Glorfindel caught her just as her knees buckled. "We have to find her,"

"Milady, you are in no shape to search for your friend," Glorfindel tried to discourage her. Charlie shook her head violently.

"No, no, no…" she muttered, trying hard to keep upright, "She's all alone and I _need_ to find her,"

"Do you even know if she travelled with you?" asked Glorfindel.

"No, but we both fell together. If I don't find her and she was here all along I will never forgive myself," Charlie said and pressed her fingertips to her temples. Her head was spinning and she groaned in frustration. Glorfindel sighed and silently agreed to look for Dany. The elf led Charlie over to Asfaloth and handed her a water skin which she eagerly accepted, and gulped down the liquid that was sweet against her lips. "God, it's like the tears of Jesus…" Charlie muttered as the water slid down her bone dry throat.

"I beg your pardon?" Glorfindel asked.

"Nothing, nothing…" replied Charlie. Glorfindel raised his eyebrow again but lifted Charlie up so she sat on Asfaloth. He mounted in front of her and turned around to face the young woman.

"Where did you find yourself in the forest?" the elf asked.

"Um, I don't know," Charlie replied sheepishly, "I was delirious; I didn't know where I was going,"

"Do you remember anything from your location?"

"Uh, there was a big tree, a really big one," Charlie frowned and continued, "I couldn't hear any water." Glorfindel nodded and dug his heels into Asfaloth's sides and urged the magnificent horse forward.

Charlie wrapped her arms around the elf's waist to steady herself when Asfaloth broke into a trot. It had been many years since she had last been on a horse and the city girl felt very uncomfortable bobbing up and down on the beast's back. "Does riding make you nervous, milady?" Glorfindel teased.

"No, just takes a bit of getting used to," answered Charlie and she grinned back at the smiling elf. Glorfindel turned around again and they rode in silence along another narrow dirt track. The constant headache Charlie had was slowly disappearing after she hydrated herself, and she took the time to admire the beautiful forest of Rivendell. Although there had been many parks in London and she had gone out on walks in the countryside with her family, it didn't compare to the raw beauty of the valley. The trees were thick, healthy, tall, and green as emerald and grew in vast numbers along the track and further. Birds sang happily amongst the branches and the sound of insects drifted through the clean air and into Charlie's ears. Sighing, she breathed in the forest air and her face broke out into a large grin. "Is everything alright, Lady Charlie?" Glorfindel asked.

"Yes, everything's so clean and natural and perfect out here," Charlie sighed.

"Is it not like your home?"

"In a way. The air is cleaner here," Charlie replied and she closed her eyes in content. Glorfindel twisted his neck back around and scanned the area for any sign of activity. The wise elf sighed. Charlie's home didn't sound very nice at all.

"What was your friend wearing?" he enquired.

"Um," Charlie opened her eyes and strained her memory, "Black jeans-"

"Jeans?"

"Yeah, uh, tight trousers," Charlie clarified and Glorfindel nodded. "Uh, white vest top, red check shirt-"

"Check?" Glorfindel interrupted again.

"It's a square pattern," Charlie answered, slightly irritated, and continued, "Black leather jacket and shoes,"

"And what does she look like?" asked Glorfindel. Even with his superior eyesight it would be fairly difficult to spot a figure dressed in dark colours, especially if they were unconscious and on the ground and masked by the dense foliage.

"She isn't particularly tall or short, she has brown curly hair, pale skin and she's quite slim," Still not really helpful, but Glorfindel stayed quiet. Another ten minutes of awkward silence led Glorfindel to grill Charlie with even more annoying questions.

"Do you know of the reason why you were brought here?"

"I don't care _why_ I was brought here," Charlie replied, "I want to know _how_," Glorfindel stayed quiet. Charlie was obviously a woman of logic, and he would only provoke her further by disagreeing with her statement. Charlie loosened her grip on the elf's waist after feeling slightly more comfortable with the horse. Glorfindel searched the area with his elven eyes while Charlie too searched, even though she struggled to keep her eyes open. Glorfindel sighed loudly and brought Asfaloth down into a slower trot. "We're not giving up," Charlie murmured.

"The thought did not cross my mind, milady," Glorfindel reassured her, even though he was unsure whether the young woman's friend had actually travelled to Middle Earth with her. Asfaloth abruptly stopped and his ears pricked. Glorfindel whipped his head to the side and spied the object of Asfaloth's attention, and his fair face broke into a large grin.

"What is it? Have you seen something?" Charlie asked eagerly. Glorfindel didn't reply, and instead urged Asfaloth forward so suddenly Charlie screamed and almost fell off. "GLORFINDEL!" Charlie shouted when she clung to him for dear life, but the elf in question only burst into fits of laughter as the horse galloped through the forest.

Soon enough, a figure lying on the ground came into view of Charlie. "Dany!" she shouted and ungracefully jumped off the horse. Shocks travelled up her ankles and legs and she winced, but she stumbled towards Dany lying next to a tree stump.

"Milady!" Glorfindel cried as he too dismounted Asfaloth and charged towards the two mortals, having his sword ready in his hand. Charlie had crouched down next to Dany and was trying to shake her awake, "Dany! Wake up!" Glorfindel saw that the mortal was unconscious so he too knelt beside her. "Dany!" Charlie repeated.

"Hush milady, you will just hurt her even more," Glorfindel tried to calm Charlie down and gently pushed her away. Glorfindel brushed the tangled brown hair from Dany's face and listened for breathing, and was happy to hear that she was albeit quietly.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Charlie desperately asked. Glorfindel hushed her again and he slid his hand beneath Dany's head, but frowned when he felt something warm and sticky. He pulled his hand away and Charlie's blue eyes widened when they saw that his fingertips were slick with red blood.

"Oh my God…" Charlie whispered. Glorfindel slowly sat Dany up and rested her against his shoulder and inspected the wound. Thankfully it wasn't deep, but it was deep enough to keep Dany unconscious, and that meant that she needed medical treatment as soon as possible. "There!" Charlie suddenly shouted and pointed towards a tree stump not a metre from where the elf was sitting. On the rim of the stump was a smear of blood, and immediately Glorfindel realised that when Dany had somehow been transported to Rivendell she had hit her head on the wood.

"We must make haste for Rivendell," Glorfindel whispered and gathered Dany in his arms, carrying her to Asfaloth bridal style. "Lord Elrond is an excellent healer, he would have no trouble healing Dany's wounds," both of the mortal's names felt very foreign when they rolled off his tongue, but he liked them in a way. Charlie wiped away tears threatening to fall with her sleeve and nodded, and then gathered Dany's work rucksack which was lying in the grass.

"Are we all going to fit on him?" Charlie asked and pointed to Asfaloth.

"Asfaloth is a strong horse, and Rivendell is not too far," Glorfindel replied, yet he knew it was a stretch asking a horse to carry an elf and two mortals at the same time. Glorfindel whistled for Asfaloth to lower to the ground and inclined his head to Charlie to pull herself up onto Asfaloth's back. Glorfindel mounted with Dany still limp in his arms and placed her in front of him as Asfaloth rose and turned in the direction of Rivendell. Charlie slung Dany's rucksack over her shoulder with her own and wrapped her arms around Glorfindel's waist while he held Dany in his strong arms, and he again dug his heels into Asfaloth's sides and they galloped towards Rivendell.

The journey to Rivendell seemed to take hours. They had not been travelling for a mere half hour but Charlie's worry for her friend caused the blood to pound in her ears and her head throb again. _I'm so hungry I could eat a horse_, Charlie thought to herself. Beneath her Asfaloth snorted, as if he could read her mind. "Sorry," Charlie mumbled.

"Sorry for what?" Glorfindel asked. When there was no reply he focused ahead on finding a shorter way through the forest. The fragile mortal in his arms was still unconscious and the elf knew that humans were weak when it came to injuries, and so he had abandoned the dirt roads his kin normally used in favour of going through the trees and shortening their journey. His gamble had paid off and they had crossed the river into the boundaries of Rivendell ten minutes earlier, which meant they were getting closer to Lord Elrond's mighty house. "Glorfindel!" a dark haired elf shouted from his horse. "Mani marte?" the elf questioned after looking at the bundle in Glorfindel's arms.

"Asca, re harwa!" Glorfindel shouted back. Asfaloth was weary but galloped past the dark-haired elf and further into the forest, skidding to a stop when Rivendell came into sight.

Charlie couldn't help but gasp, it was so _beautiful_. Grand houses peaked out of the cliff faces of the valley, which was dotted with greenery and sparkling water tumbled down into the depths below. It was such a contrast to the high rise steel and glass buildings of London and every other city in Earth. Glorfindel swiftly dismounted Asfaloth with Dany still in his arms and charged towards the biggest house in the valley. Charlie sprinted after him with the rucksacks, puffing in frustration. _He could run fast_, Charlie thought, _even with a dead weight like Dany_. Glorfindel bounded up some steps and called to another dark haired elf who was dressed in robes of deep purple. "Lindir! Toltha Elrond!" Glorfindel shouted in the same language he had done before. Lindir took one look at an unconscious Dany and Glorfindel's red stained hands before he nodded and scurried off down one of the many halls. Glorfindel carried Dany down some more twisting hallways and kicked open a door with his foot, and he rushed inside the empty room and carefully placed Dany on the bed. "Lady Charlie, it would probably be best if you go and find something to eat," Glorfindel turned around to talk to her, but before she could open her mouth he continued "You need to rest and replenish your strength, you look like a ghost," Glorfindel smirked. After taking one look at Dany, who was still bleeding, she nodded at the elf. But in a flash of purple and brown two more figures appeared in the room. They too had long hair and pointed ears like Glorfindel, but they had silver circlets placed upon their brows. "Mani naa ta?" one elf with a deep voice asked Glorfindel. Glorfindel inclined his head towards Charlie, who still stood in the doorway. The elf's forehead creased and he stepped toward Charlie. Her heat immediately started beating faster and her vision blurred a little, the pounding in her ears growing louder.

"Tell Lord Elrond your name, Lady Charlie," Glorfindel reassured her. Elrond's brow creased further, but he was silent.

"Uh, my name is Charlotte Malelenil," Charlie whispered quietly. Elrond's already sharp brows shot up his forehead before he whispered furiously in another language to Lindir, who also had a startled expression upon his face.

"I am Lord Elrond of Rivendell," he introduced himself formally to Charlie while Lindir and Glorfindel started to clean Dany's wounds. "You may tell me more of your appearance after I have tended to your friend. Lindir will take care of you until then," Elrond spoke to her then turned back towards the bed where Dany lay.

Lindir curtly bowed to Charlie and cleaned his hands and then gently pushed her out of the room, shutting the door behind him. "You must be hungry, Lady Charlotte," said Lindir as he guided her through the halls into a small courtyard.

"Charlie," she told him, "Please call me Charlie,"

"As you wish, Lady Charlie," Lindir spoke just as Glorfindel had done not three hours ago. He too took Charlie's hand and placed a kiss upon her knuckles, although the act didn't surprise her this time, it was clearly the norm here.

"Good to meet you, Lindir," Charlie practically yawned. Lindir chuckled and beckoned a female elf over, and spoke to her in the musical language every elf spoke here. The she-elf nodded and walked back down a corridor.

"Some food will be brought to you. When did you last eat?" Lindir asked and the two sat down on a stone bench. Charlie thought back to the night before when she ate a packet of Monster Munch with Kev when they were drinking.

"Last night," she replied, and Lindir opened his mouth to speak again but Charlie continued, "It's not good to drink five pints of beer on an empty stomach," Immediately Lindir's eyes widened, making Charlie laugh softly.

"It is not wise for a mortal to drink such quantities of alcohol, especially a woman," Lindir scorned.

"Hey," Charlie was about to argue back about his slightly sexist comment but decided not to, "As a matter of fact, I can hold my alcohol quite well thank you very much," Lindir laughed again just as the she-elf returned with some water, fruit and a golden loaf of bread.

"Thanks," Charlie said to the she-elf who smiled.

"That is all, Aeva," Lindir told the elf and she bowed then walked away. Charlie scoffed down the fruit and gulped the water down quickly, causing quite a mess on the plate and the bench. Lindir raised his eyebrow and scorned her, "That is not very ladylike,"

"Sowwy," Charlie said with a mouthful of lembas bread, spewing crumbs everywhere. Lindir rolled his eyes and Charlie snorted and continued with eating the food.

"Would you like me to tend to your cuts?" Lindir asked Charlie. She frowned then ran her hand over her face, feeling the scratches she had gained while searching for Dany. Charlie looked down at her legs and also saw she had obtained some cuts along her ankles and some thin scratches through the denim of her jeans. Thinking about it, they stung slightly and could be infected.

"That would be great," Charlie replied and Lindir got up to find some supplies. Charlie popped a berry into her mouth and almost groaned when it burst and her taste buds were assaulted with the heavenly flavour.

"Is it to your liking?" Lindir spoke up when he returned. Charlie nodded enthusiastically and Lindir smiled. He sat down next to her and took out a small bottle of pale liquid from the pouch he carried and he unscrewed the silver cap. "This might sting a little," he warned her as he started to pat the fragrant ointment into the cuts on Charlie's face. She hissed with the sting but soon it was cool against her skin and it numbed the pain a little, and Charlie sighed. "The cuts on your face will not need dressings," Lindir told her and Charlie nodded. She rolled up the hem of her jeans slightly so Lindir could rub the ointment into the larger and deeper cuts on her ankles, and the pain was slightly more intense but nothing she couldn't handle. Lindir wrapped a clean bandage around the deepest cut on her left ankle and tied it securely. "It will be healed in a few days, just keep the dressing on your ankle for today and tomorrow,"

"Thank you. For the food and care and everything," Charlie thanked him.

"It is my pleasure, Lady Charlie," Lindir replied and smiled at the mortal, "Do you know why you have appeared in Rivendell, if you are not from this world?" the elf enquired. Charlie shook her head. The sound of a throat being cleared made Charlie look up to see Glorfindel standing in the archway.

"She's awake,"

Charlie stood up so quickly her vision fizzled slightly but she charged towards Glorfindel who led her back to Dany's room, with Lindir hot on their heels. Charlie burst through the doorway to see Elrond sitting in a chair next to the bed and speaking with Dany, who had a bandage wrapped around her skull. She looked startled, and when Charlie appeared in front of her she let out a cry of delight. "Charlie!" she shouted in surprise as her best friend enveloped her in a strong embrace.

"I was so scared Dany, I couldn't find you and I thought you were dead," Charlie almost sobbed into Dany's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Dany asked, "What the fuck happened?" The three elves winced at Dany's profanity but Charlie answered,

"I honestly don't know. But you remember that creepy woman on top of LondonTech?" Charlie asked her friend who nodded, and so she continued, "Well, when we fell I guess we were transported here," she finished quietly.

"You're joking," Dany breathed, but Charlie shook her head, "You weren't lying," Dany spoke quietly to Elrond, who also shook his head. Dany felt sick. How could they have been transported to another world? "But how?" she asked.

"I don't know," Charlie answered.

"Are we dead?" Dany asked, even though she didn't believe in Heaven or the afterlife or anything like that.

"I assure you that you are not dead, my Lady," Glorfindel spoke up from the doorway.

"Who'd the fuck are you?" Dany asked.

"I am Glorfindel, and this is Lindir," Glorfindel introduced himself and gestured to Lindir next to him.

"Glorfindel saved my life and yours," Charlie added and she sat on the edge of Dany's bed.

"Saved my life?" Dany repeated.

"After I found Lady Charlie in the forest she insisted that we search for you, and we found you injured and unconscious." Glorfindel replied.

"We think you hit your head on a tree stump when you were transported here," Charlie said and started fiddling with the bed sheets.

"And you're- you're elves?" Dany asked, but it was no more than a whisper.

"Indeed my Lady, we are elves of Rivendell in Middle Earth, and we-" Lindir replied, but was interrupted when Dany promptly fainted.

Just a quick thanks to Noxy the Proxy who reviewed! This story is being written by two of us so the style may differ from time to time, but if you have any ideas or criticism please review!


	4. Chapter 3

"She'll wake up soon milady, there is no need to fret," soothed Glorfindel.

"But what if it's serious? What if she never wakes up- Oh God how could I let this happen to us?" Charlie shouted exasperatingly and paced nervously in the room, playing out scenarios in her head that continually got worse and worse. At that moment, Dany's eyes fluttered open, and she sharply awoke upon hearing the anxiousness that plagued her best friend's voice.

"Charlie what is going- Who are these people?" She was disorientated, and had completely forgotten the conversation between herself and the elves.

"Dany, you remember what they told you-" Charlie started, not sure of how to re-explain without causing Dany to faint again. Dany's eyes widened in shock when she remembered what she'd been told.

"ELVES! THERE ARE ELVES-WHERE ARE WE? WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? ARE THEY GOING TO HURT US?" Dany furiously screamed at the elves and Charlie, thrashing around and twisting the white bed sheets around her body, trying to prevent the tears which brimmed in her eyes. The three elves merely exchanged concerned looks, for they had not dealt with a young women acting so fiercely. "Oh my god- what happened Charlie? Is it a dream? It must be a dream," Dany repeated the act Charlie had done only a few hours before, hitting her head furiously with her palms, trying to 'wake' herself up. Glorfindel recognised the act almost immediately, _Is this what female humans always do in their world? _The elf thought, and grabbed Dany's thin wrists to restrain her from injuring herself, just as he had done to Charlie.

"My lady, you need to calm down, you will only injure yourself further," Elrond soothed.

"CALM DOWN? CALM DOWN? WHY DON'T YOU TRY AND WAKE UP IN A STRANGE PLACE WITH STRANGE HUMANS AND "CALM DOWN"?" She continued thrashing, fighting the restraints of Glorfindel as he had yet to let go of her wrists. As she was thrashing, Dany aimed a weak kick at Glorfindel's stomach, who merely sighed at the feeble act of the human. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Dany screamed. By now her face was tomato red and sweat was beading at her hairline. "I SAID GET OFF ME!"

"Calm down Dany!" Charlie shouted and knelt over her friend and grasped Dany's head between her hands, "They're just trying to help us!" Dany was still very weak and so the screams and thrashing eventually subsided. Glorfindel released her wrists as Dany collapsed back into the soft pillows and began to sob. "Don't cry Dany," Charlie tried to reassure her, "You'll just make me cry, and I'm sure I have no more tears left," she continued with a small smile. Dany smiled back and hiccupped, causing her to turn red again.

"You must rest, Lady Dany," Elrond declared and stood up, "Lady Charlotte will tell us what happened," Dany looked at Charlie before nodding and nestled herself into the pillows.

The three elves and Charlie left the room and went to sit in the same courtyard Lindir had shown Charlie earlier. Charlie sat down on the stone bench next to Glorfindel while Lindir and Elrond took a seat in front of them on another bench. "Care to enlighten us on what happened, Lady Charlotte?" Elrond asked her.

"Call me Charlie," she mumbled quietly, "Well, back home me and Dany were starting our new job-"

"What job?" Glorfindel interrupted her.

"Working for a business in the heart of London," Charlie answered, "Me and Dany are sustainable engineers,"

"Pardon?" Lindir spoke out. Charlie frowned and tried to string words together to make a simple explanation.

"We research, design and build machines that help people and that can be used in the present and future," Charlie explained and hoped that it was a suitable answer. The three elves nodded, somehow understanding what she told them. They were also a bit surprised that two women were working in jobs like that but they decided to keep that to themselves.

"Well, it was our first day and everything was going really well. Our boss, ahem, leader, had accepted our ideas and we pulled together a team to work on them," Charlie recounted.

"And who were these people?" Glorfindel questioned.

"Dr Jacobs is our, um, leader, but he was not magical or anything as far as I know. Harry is shy and barely out of college so I don't think he played a part in this. Kev and Jerome are a bit crazy but I don't think they had anything to do with it either," Charlie replied.

"But if you had only known these people for a day, how can you be so sure about their characters?" Elrond asked her. Charlie shrugged.

"I just have a feeling they're good people. Why would they have reason to do this to me and Dany?" Charlie asked Elrond. The elf in question furrowed his brow in thought. Charlie sighed and continued,

"After a day of working we decided to celebrate so we went to the pub and we drank a bit." Lindir raised his eyebrows. "Well, we had maybe three or four pints…" Dany sighed and the elves' piercing eyes widened. "We were about to go home when Dany realised she left some papers and things back at work. We went back to the building, and we were lucky it was still open because Jacobs always works late. We got our stuff, but then we saw a figure in the corridor,"

"A figure?" Elrond clarified.

"Yeah, and we stupidly followed them up to the roof," Charlie added sheepishly.

"And why on Middle Earth did you do that?" Glorfindel asked and crossed his strong arms.

"I don't know! We were slightly drunk and we were curious…" Charlie said quietly. "Anyway, we went up to the roof and there was this massive storm. Actually, thinking about it we could've killed ourselves but oh well," Charlie carried on and shrugged her shoulders. Glorfindel spluttered quietly, _how could she just brush off something as serious as death? She is mortal, she should be more wary of death, _the elf thought, _very strange._

Charlie explained the events on the rooftop while the elves sat in silence and listened carefully, sometimes acknowledging details with a nod of their heads. Charlie continued: "And the crazy woman told us all this crazy stuff about this ancient race of elves and whatever-"

"Ancient race?" Elrond breathed. "What race did she mention?" The elf asked her, though he had an idea of what she was about to say.

"Uh, it began with a 'v'," Charlie squinted and tried to remember. "Valerie, Vanin, Verin… Vanerian! She said Vanerian!" Lindir gasped and looked at Elrond, who had turned to look down at the floor and muttered something in another language. Glorfindel cursed and stood upright and began to pace in the stone courtyard.

"Glorfindel! It is not proper to curse in front of a Lady!" Lindir snapped, though he was still startled by Charlie's speech.

"I think there are greater matters at hand other than being proper, Lindir!" Glorfindel retorted.

"What does that mean?" Charlie asked. "What's going on?" Elrond looked up to face Charlie while he rubbed his temples with his index fingers.

"It means that something is amiss," he told her, "The elves of Vana were a powerful race of elves long ago,"

"What happened?" enquired Charlie.

"Their city was mostly destroyed and all inhabitants were slaughtered by Orcs," Elrond continued and stood up.

"What the hell are orcs?" Charlie asked, but she had a feeling they weren't particularly nice.

"Orcs are savage creatures that were bred by Vala Melkor during the Great Darkness. They kill anything and anyone in their way," Elrond explained. Charlie shivered, but she had no idea who Vala Melkor was or the Great Darkness. "The Elves of Vana were courageous, and so they destroyed a stronghold of the orcs to make their borders safer. But other orcs had heard of the slaughter of their kin and so they did the same, only in greater numbers. Even with their magic, the Elves of Vana were powerless against the enemy," Charlie was speechless. This world was just as unforgiving has hers.

"And what has this got to do with me and Dany?" she asked, though it was not more than a whisper. Elrond turned again to face her.

"What is Lady Dany's full name?" he questioned.

"Daniella Aeratail," Charlie replied. Elrond looked at the floor again and paced across the floor with Glorfindel.

"The Vanerian Elves have not been seen or heard of in almost three thousand years," Elrond said softly, "Though there were rumours that the Queen had sent some of the infants to another realm,"

"But how?" Charlie choked out.

"The Vanerian Elves were powerful in magic and sorcery, and the Queen was a well-known enchantress," Glorfindel replied without looking at her, "She would have found a way to ensure the survival of her kin,"

"And- and you think…"

"That you and Lady Daniella are the descendants of these Elves?" Elrond answered, "It would explain your appearance,"

"Pray tell us, what else did the Queen say to you?" Glorfindel asked and he sat down again.

"Uh, she said that Middle Earth was in great danger, and that we would help it or something like that," Charlie replied and held her head in her hands. "Oh God, we're in deep dog crap," Glorfindel did not understand her idiom but knew how she felt, and then Charlie looked up and asked, "What should me and Dany do?" Elrond considered her question before answering.

"You can stay here as long as you wish or until we find a way to send you back home," he told the mortal who nodded, "Although I do suspect you have greater purpose here," Charlie was confused but nodded again. "I will have Aeva and others prepare rooms for you," Elrond beckoned Aeva over and told her something in the strange language. The she-elf smiled at Charlie before she scurried off to fetch other elves to help her. "I can't express our grateful I am, to all of you," Charlie said to all the Elves.

"It is the least we can do," Elrond said to her and smiled, "I shall go and check on Lady Daniella,"

"Dany, she prefers to be called Dany," Charlie called after Elrond who turned and nodded his acknowledgement. Elrond went back down the corridor to check on Dany whilst Glorfindel and Lindir stayed. "Why is Middle Earth in danger?" Charlie wandered aloud.

"Alas, even Lord Elrond does not know the details," Glorfindel answered her question and looked into the Valley, "Although it cannot be anything good." At this Lindir stood up to sit on the bench where Charlie was.

"Is your world at war?" the elf asked her. Charlie faced him and offered a weak smile.

"Yes, but we have many different wars between many countries. I live far away from these wars so I'm not in much danger," said Charlie.

"You are very lucky then," Lindir smiled back, "There is no escape from war in Middle Earth, unless you sail West."

"Then why isn't everyone sailing West?" Charlie enquired and Lindir laughed.

"You have such a curious mind. Only immortal beings are supposed to sail west,"

"So Orcs can't?"

"No, and neither can men, dwarves and hobbits," Glorfindel replied.

"That's a bit unfair," Charlie muttered and Lindir chuckled.

"It is not our doing. It is what the Valar wish,"

"The Valar?"

"That is for another time," Glorfindel interrupted and held out his hand for Charlie to take, "Come, Aeva is likely to have finished preparing your room."

"And I must see if Lord Elrond is in need of my assistance," Lindir declared and went to Dany's room. Charlie took Glorfindel's hand to pull herself up and then Aeva appeared in the courtyard, and the elf led her to an empty room not far from Dany's. Charlie and Glorfindel stepped inside the spacious room and she set her bag upon the large bed. Charlie gazed up to the ceiling in amazement. The room was very clean, and the ceiling was high and supported by dark coloured wooden beams. Leaves and twisting vines were carved into the wood and reached up to the midpoint of the ceiling in a complicated carved design of a large flower which she did not recognise, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Her room was simply furnished, but the craftsmanship of the wooden dressing table, wardrobe, chest of drawers and bed was exquisite. They too had the natural theme of flowers and leaves carved into them, and the hangings from the bed were a sheer white. Past some curtains of the same material the room opened up onto a balcony which overlooked the breath-taking valley of Rivendell and the tumbling waterfalls. "I feel like a princess," Charlie sighed as she sat down onto the comfortable bed.

"This is hardly fit for royalty," Glorfindel replied from the doorway.

"Are you kidding me? Me and Dany live in a tiny two bedroom flat back home. On the first day of living there Dany dented the ceiling with her head when she was jumping on her bed and I climbed on top of the wardrobe and it collapsed," Charlie recounted and Glorfindel burst into hearty laughter.

"You are truly a strange being, Charlotte Malelenil," Glorfindel sighed as he took his leave, "Rest well."

"I will," Charlie replied and the elf left. She collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes, listening to the birds singing outside in the valley. _Think of it as a holiday_, she told herself, _a really, really nice holiday…_

"Did Charlie tell you everything?" Dany asked Lord Elrond as he entered the room.

"Yes," He replied and sat down in the chair next to her bed.

"So do you have a theory?" she asked hopefully. Lord Elrond nodded and proceeded to tell her exactly what Charlie had told him minutes ago. Dany's eyes widened whilst she carefully listened to the elf's words.

"You're telling me that me and Charlie are descended from this magical elf race?" Dany asked, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"Indeed I think so," Elrond answered. "Your last names were once those of noble Vanerian warriors,"

"Wow," Dany breathed and she leant back into her pillows. "This is turning out to be one hell of a day," Elrond chuckled at her words.

"How is your head?"

"It's been worse," Dany replied and Elrond frowned, "Well it throbs a little, but nothing too bad," Elrond nodded and handed her a glass of water which she eagerly accepted. "Do you think we can get back home?" Dany quietly asked the Lord of Rivendell.

"I have read many scriptures and only folklore mentions travelling between worlds," Elrond answered and he furrowed his brow, "Perhaps the Lady of Light will be of help."

"The Lady of Light?"

"Yes, she possesses the gift or foresight, like myself, but she is more powerful with magic," he explained.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Bring her in!"

"The Lady of Light does not dwell in Rivendell. She lives many leagues away in the forest of Lothlórien," Elrond told Dany who groaned in frustration.

"Can't we visit her, or can she visit us?" Dany asked hopefully, but she knew the answer was not going to be the one she wanted.

"We live in dangerous times, Daniella Aeratail," Elrond told her, "Maybe when the time is right. Presently, you and Lady Charlie have to rest," Dany pouted childishly. "For the time being, you are welcome to stay here,"

"Thanks," Dany mumbled. Elrond nodded and stepped over to the door and was about to leave when she remembered her bag she had been wearing on her back when she fell. "Lord Elrond!" Dany called behind him, and he turned to look at her, "When Glorfindel and Charlie found me, did I have my bag?"

"I am not sure, though Lady Charlie did have two when she arrived. I will send for Glorfindel to retrieve it. Do you also wish to speak to Lady Charlie?" Elrond replied.

"Yes! That would be fantastic," Dany said enthusiastically. The elf nodded and took his leave to find Glorfindel and Charlie. Dany sunk back into her pillows and sighed. "What a day…"

Charlie awoke to a knocking at the door. "Dammit!" she cursed, "I fell asleep!" she groggily swung her legs over the bed and shuffled to the door, only to be met with Aeva standing there.

"Lord Elrond requests your presence in Lady Dany's room," the she-elf told her.

"Oh, uh, okay," Charlie replied and hastily picked up her rucksack.

"And Lady Dany wishes for her bag, too," Aeva added.

"Right," Charlie muttered and picked up Dany's Aztec rucksack. "Lead the way," Charlie gestured for Avea, who chuckled slightly. Aeva walked very quickly down the corridors and Charlie had trouble keeping up with the elf's long legs, but she made it to Dany's room without panting. Glorfindel was standing there too waiting for Charlie. "You didn't have to wait for me," Charlie huffed and Glorfindel snickered.

"I thought it would be best if you accompanied me," he replied and thought back to Dany thrashing around earlier. Charlie silently agreed and didn't bother knocking on the door, she just burst in and chucked Dany's bag at her.

"Oi!" Dany shouted and caught the bag, "I've got a head injury you little shit!" Charlie laughed and plopped herself down onto Dany's bed.

"You remember Glorfindel?" Charlie asked and pointed at the blond elf who was loitering in the doorway.

"Yeah, sorry I went all psycho on you earlier," Dany apologised and beckoned for him to come into her room.

"It is of no worry milady," Glorfindel chuckled and Dany blushed.

"So," Dany began and clapped her hands, "What's the plan?"

"I think our best option is to stay in Rivendell. We have no idea what the hell is out there," Charlie replied.

"Lord Elrond mentioned seeing this Lady of Light who could help us because she's all magical and shit, but she lives far away and it's too dangerous to travel there," Dany told her friend and shrugged her shoulders. "So we only have on option really. What do you think, Glorfindel?" Dany asked the elf.

"I agree. Until we know what brought you here and how it happened, Rivendell is the safest place for you," Glorfindel answered and Charlie fiddles with the sheets.

"For the time being we should check what we have in our bags," Charlie suggested and Dany agreed. Dany undid the straps of her bag and peered inside, but Charlie just shook her bag and emptied it across Dany's bed.

"Excuse you," Dany eyed Charlie evilly and playfully shoved her. Glorfindel chuckled at the display when Charlie insulted Dany back. Her friend rolled her eyes and tipped out her bag on the bed too.

"Right, let's see what we have here…" muttered Charlie. "Tissues, makeup wipes, earphones, some socks, pen, paper, tic tacs, lip balm, pads, two tampons, purse, spare pair of underwear…" Charlie picked through her items, "…. A book, a folder, concealer, mirror…"

"I have the folder, my phone, iPod, same pads and tampons, a pair of underwear, mascara, eyeliner, concealer, pad, pen, a few makeup wipes, earrings, pack of tissues, lipstick, my purse, a packet of Quavers and my Oyster card," Dany looked through her items and then placed them back into a bag. Glorfindel didn't know what many of those items were but he kept his silence.

"Where's my phone?" Charlie suddenly asked. She rummaged through her polka-dot bag desperately and shook it out again, but there was no sign of her phone. "Oh God, where is it?" the young woman panicked, "I've lost my bloomin' phone!" Charlie's hands dived into her jean pockets and turned them out but there was nothing but lint in them and a stick of un-chewed gum.

"What does your 'phone' look like, Lady Charlie?" Glorfindel asked.

"Um, it's like a shiny rectangle with gems on the back…" Charlie tried to explain while she looked through her bag again. Glorfindel's face lit up and he pulled the phone out from inside his tunic.

"Is this what you are looking for?"

"Yes! That's it!" Charlie took the phone from Glorfindel's outstretched hand and cradled it close to her before kissing it dramatically.

"You're such a drama queen," Dany said with disgust while Glorfindel laughed again. Charlie shoved her phone into her back pocket and shot Dany a dirty look, then her mouth cracked into a sly grin. She picked up one of the pillows and held it in her hands threateningly. Dany gulped.

"Don't you motherfucking dare Charlotte Malelenil," Dany warned, but then Charlie pounced. Glorfindel stood up to intervene when Charlie started swinging the pillow around and smacking Dany on the head. "YOU FUCKING DARED!" Dany screamed and starting hitting Charlie back with another pillow.

"Ladies, please calm down!" Glorfindel shouted but he was finding this rather amusing.

"Ow!" Dany shouted, but Charlie swung another shot and whacked Dany round the face. Dany tumbled off the bed and onto the floor with a loud scream. "Oh no!" Charlie shouted and jumped over the bed to where Dany was lying on the ground. "Are you alright?"

"You son of a bitch!" Dany shouted and kicked out Charlie's legs from beneath her, making her friend topple over and faceplant into the bed. Dany picked herself off the floor and started to laugh hysterically, and Charlie joined her after she rolled off her face. Glorfindel was flabbergasted by the whole scene, but started laughing too. Suddenly the door flung open and Lindir burst into the room.

"I heard a scream!" the elf shouted, then looked at a red faced Charlie on the bed and Dany clutching her sides. The two girls looked at each other then started laughing even harder.

"I can't breathe!" Dany gasped out and she doubled over. "Ow!" She clutched her head and lay down on the bed.

"Uuma dela," Glorfindel whispered to Lindir and shook his head. (Don't worry). Lindir looked at Glorfindel then nodded and left the girls to their hysterics. Before he left he turned to the girls and the other elf and declared that dinner would be served in an hour and a half. At that the two elves left the room and closed the door behind them, but the sound of laughter was heard throughout the whole house.

Aeva knocked on the door of Dany's room. It slowly opened and Charlie peeked through the crack, then after seeing it was the she-elf she squealed and opened the door fully. "Dany, this is Aeva," Charlie introduced her friend to the elf and Aeva curtsied.

"I've run a bath for you," Aeva told Dany, "And Issa has run a bath for you, Lady Charlie,"

"Thanks, I really need one," Dany sniffed her armpits and pulled a face, "But I can do it myself next time," Aeva raised an eyebrow but led Dany to the adjoining room where a steaming bath was waiting for her. The she-elf showed her the different coloured oils she could use to wash herself and then left her to her own devices. Dany peeled off her vest top and shimmied out of her jeans so they pooled around her feet, and then took off her underwear and slid into the hot water. She leant her head against the side of the bath while she relaxed. Aeva had put something in the water to make it smell of roses and for it to be soothing against her aching limbs. She dipped her head beneath the surface and the bandage around her forehead soaked up the water and it floated away, allowing the cut at the back of her skull be soothed by the water. After she could hold her breath no longer she resurfaced. Dany picked one of the oils to wash her hair and she worked it into her roots and massaged it into the ends of her hair, enjoying the citrus fragrance. There was no need for conditioner so she started to wash the dirt from her ankles and wrists where she had been laying in the forest. _I wander how mum and dad are taking my disappearance. That is if they've noticed._ Dany had meant to call her parents as soon as she finished work to let them know how she got on. _They would be devastated. _Dany's parents and sister were very dear to her, thanks to them she'd had a great childhood and now she had a great future ahead of her. A tear slipped down a cheek and she wiped it away with a wet hand. _Nothing to worry about, I will only be gone a few weeks. _But even then Dany was unsure of herself.

She closed her eyes again and let the water work its magic, but the door creaked open. She cracked an eye open just to see Aeva collect her clothes and scurry out the door. Red flooded her cheeks but she looked down to see the oils had clouded the water. Dany sighed in relief and closed her eyes, but then they snapped over again when she remembered Charlie telling her Elves had superior eyesight. _Oh shit. _Dany rolled her eyes and then started to inspect the other oils. One was bright red and smelled funny so she kept it on the side; another was green and smelled of mint and was cool to touch but stung when she dipped her finger inside the vial. The last was a cloudy ivory coloured bottle, and when she dipped her finger inside it the fine hairs on her skin disappeared. Smirking, Dany slathered it across her legs and under her arms and when she washed the bubbles away there were no hairs there. _Wow, _Dany thought to herself as she ran her hands over her legs. _This is so much better than shaving, _she mused as she started lathering it across her top lip and between her eyebrows amongst other places.

Charlie was very much enjoying her well-needed bath too. The other she-elf, Issa, had been quiet but had run her the best bath she had ever had. She too had discovered the different properties of the oils and her legs were gloriously smooth. Charlie stepped out of the bath and squeezed her wet hair out and wrapped a bit of cloth that served as a towel around her body. She shuffled back into her room to find a lilac dress laid out on the bed for her. Her eyebrows shot up her forehead when she realised Issa had taken her clothes to wash. It was well intentioned but she had never been one for dresses, especially floaty ones that were made of some kind of silk. She wandered how Dany would react to seeing her own dress and snickered at the thought. _She would go apeshit, _she thought to herself as she picked up the dress. True enough, Dany was surprised upon seeing her own pale blue dress but shrugged it off. She had nothing else to wear and Lord Elrond, Lindir and Glorfindel had been exceptionally kind to her so she would have to suck it up and wear it. It had a darker blue belt and was embellished with tiny blue beads into a swirling pattern of leaves, stems and flowers. She pulled on her spare pair of underwear and she slipped into the dress, befuddled by all the ties and laces. She looked down at her chest and saw that it had no support whatsoever, so when she looked into the floor length mirror next to her bed she choked back laughter. There was another knock at the door. "Come in!" Dany shouted and Aeva entered the room. Her elf eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and Dany grinned.

"Mortal women have larger busts and hips than elves," Aeva mused as she handed Dany a long strip of fabric. "You can use this to bind your chest," Dany raised her eyebrows but turned around and slid the fabric under her dress and started to wrap it around her chest. Aeva helped her and then did the laces up at the back.

"Wow," Dany looked at herself in the mirror, "Aren't I a sight for sore eyes?"

"You look beautiful, milady," Aeva told her and sat her down on the bed. The elf gathered some strands of Dany's surprisingly dry hair and began to twist them into braids. "The oils in the water help hair to dry," Aeva told Dany as she pulled her hair back, "Your hair is so thick and curly," Aeva muttered.

"Yeah, it's a bit wild," Dany replied and Aeva chuckled.

"There," Aeva finished. Dany turned to look in the mirror and smiled at Aeva's work.

"It looks fantastic," Dany breathed, "Thank-you."

"It was no worry, milady," Aeva sighed and stood up. "I now have to help with the preparation of dinner," Dany nodded her thanks and went over to her bag that rested on her bed. She pulled out her mascara, eyeliner and concealer and began to apply them in the mirror. Now that she didn't look dead she slicked on some lipstick and smiled at herself in the mirror.

"Not bad," she murmured, "Not bad at all."

Charlie straightened her dress and breathed in. The binding Issa had given her was constricting her chest so it was slightly hard to breathe, but tried not to take notice. Her hair had been braided back from her face and she had applied light makeup. She hoped Dany had also made an effort for their first night in Rivendell. Tomorrow they would probably be going to dinner dressed as hobos so she might as well make an effort. Her Vans had been left by the door after being scrubbed clean so she pulled them on (she refused to wear the boots that had been laid out) and began to walk to Dany's room. She burst in again just as Dany was tying the laces of her red Converse. Charlie grinned at her friend. "Don't you dare say anything," Dany huffed, making Charlie laugh.

"Does your mother knoweth you weareth her drapes?" Charlie quipped and Dany flashed her middle finger at her. Still giggling, the two girls made their way over to the eating hall. Glorfindel was waiting for them under the stone archway and his eyes widened when the two girls bounded over.

"You both look stunning," Glorfindel complimented and in turn took their hands and kissed their knuckles. "Although your footwear is rather unusual," Glorfindel sighed and the two girls hiked up their skirts to expose their trainers. Lindir scurried round the corner and did a double-take when he saw Dany and Charlie. He cleared his throat and went over to them and complimented the girls on their transformations like Glorfindel.

"We shall be dining with Lord Elrond and his children; Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen," Lindir explained. "I'm glad you decided to wear the dresses Aeva and Issa chose for you,"

"Yeah, well I wasn't exactly going to come naked," Dany remarked and Charlie snorted. Lindir rolled his eyes and led them inside the dining room. Elrond was seated at the head of the table and on either side there were two dark haired male elves, twins from the look of it, and an extremely beautiful she-elf opposite them.

"Lady Charlie and Lady Dany, these are my sons Elrohir and Elladan, and this is my daughter Arwen," Elrond introduced them. The two girls awkwardly curtsied and began to make their way towards the table. At the last minute Charlie pushed Dany forward and she whacked her foot against the table leg. "Ow! Son of a fuck!" Dany screeched in pain and she clutched her foot, "You cheeky bastard!" Elladan and Elrohir burst into fits of laughter and Arwen giggled slightly. Dany glared at Charlie and the twins stood up to greet them.

"Mae govannen," Elladan smirked and kissed Dany's hand. Dany's eyes widened, she had no way to respond to that.

"Uh, right back at ya," she replied and Elladan laughed again. Elrohir did the same and Arwen dipped her head in respect at the two girls.

Dany, Charlie, Lindir and Glorfindel took their seats and somehow Dany found herself next to Elladan whilst Charlie sat beside Arwen.

"I have consulted my scriptures and I have not found anything that could help you," Elrond began. Well, that was a bit of a downer. "But I am almost certain Lady Galadriel will be able to help you,"

"Lady Galadriel?" Charlie asked. Aeva and Issa along with two other elves entered the hall and placed plates of food in front of the diners. Dany mumbled her thanks and picked up the knife and fork to start her meal.

"Also known as the Lady of Light," Elrond told Charlie who nodded. "But as I said before, we cannot reach her at the moment,"

Dany picked at her food then wolfed half of it down in a matter of minutes, much to the amusement of Elladan and Glorfindel. "What are we going to do for the time being?" Charlie asked.

"I will try and find some Vanerian scriptures but most of them were destroyed years ago. We are expecting some company next week so you could assist with them," Elrond responded. Charlie didn't know what that meant but anything to keep her busy would be welcome. The table was silent as they continued their meal.

"We could always try and finish the equation," Dany suggested and Charlie nodded. "But without calculators it's gonna be difficult. I don't want to waste my phone's battery,"

"Equation?"

"Calculators?"

"Phone?"

"Battery?"

The table erupted with questions and Dany and Charlie struggled to answer all of them. "Uh, an equation is a series of numbers to make something or prove something. Calculators are little mini machines which you put a sum into and they work it out for you," Dany tried to explain.

"A phone is another device which you can talk to people on and play games and stuff," Charlie told them and pulled out her phone from the binding under her dress. She turned it on and punched in her passcode and the homescreen appeared, making all the elves gaze in wander at the magical object. Charlie quickly turned it off and put it back into the binding. "Sorry guys, I just need to save the battery, that's the thing that powers it," The others nodded in understanding and turned back to their meals.

"Do you know how to ride?" Elrohir suddenly asked.

"We had a few lessons when we were younger, but not really," Charlie said without looking up.

"Those skills are invaluable in this world. We can start teaching you tomorrow," the dark haired elf promised.

"And we can teach you basic fighting skills," Elladan added and Dany spluttered.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," dismissed Elrond.

"Is Middle Earth really that dangerous?" Dany asked, "We have to know how to kill?"

"Not kill, but defend. You never know what is going to happen," Glorfindel grumbled. Clearly he had seen many battles.

"Do you not see death in your world?" Arwen questioned.

"We have many wars. But you don't have to learn how to fight. We have soldiers for that," said Charlie.

"And weapons have grown so advanced you can't defend yourselves anyway. Once a missile is launched or a bomb is dropped, poof, you're dead," Dany carried on.

"That does not sound like a very desirable world," Arwen said sadly.

"Actually, I think our world is beautiful. We have so many cultures, religions, countries, nationalities and landscapes it's mesmerizing, considering we don't have any elves or goblins or dwarves or hobbits or whatever," Dany defended. Arwen nodded and looked down at her meal.

Dany and Charlie quickly finished and so did the others. They bid each other goodnight and they wandered back to their respective rooms, though Glorfindel and Lindir stayed behind to discuss other matters with Lord Elrond. Charlie collapsed onto her bed after washing her face and changing, making sure she washed out her mouth with water and herbs that cleaned her teeth. She slid under her covers and rested on her side, gathering the blankets in her hands. She wandered what her parents and brother were doing, and all her other friends and family she had left behind. Charlie's lip began to tremble as tears slipped from her eyes and dampened her pillow. Footsteps echoed outside her door. Dany must still be up, the other elves did not make a sound when they moved. As her sobs got louder there was a faint knock on the door. "Charlie?" Dany harshly whispered through the wood, "Are you alright?"

"Not really," Charlie sniffled and the door creaked open.

"I can't get to sleep either, there's too much on my mind," Dany admitted and she flopped onto Charlie's bed. The two girls were silent as Charlie lay on her side, and for the first time in years they did not know what to say to each other. Minutes passed and Dany slowly got up, bidding Charlie goodnight as she went back to her own room. Charlie sighed as she rolled over onto her back and wiped the tear tracks from her eyes, falling victim to the fatigue that overtook her.

Okay so this has changed from a Kili/OC to Glorfindel/OC. Frankly it would be too hard for us to write Kili in because his survival would mean that it would alter many events (and he would be older than Gimli) and we feel there isn't enough love for Glorfindel anyway. Sorry if things are a bit slow right now but they'll kick off in Chapter 5 or 6!


	5. Chapter 4

Aeva knocked on Dany's bedroom door and clasped her dainty hands behind her back. Breakfast was to be served to the rooms soon and Elladan had requested the two mortals to join him in the courtyard. When there was no answer Aeva knocked louder on the door, which was followed by a sleepy 'go away'. The elf sighed and unlocked the door with the key Lord Elrond had given her and she crept inside the still slightly darkened room, her feather-light footsteps not making a sound. Dany was still mostly asleep and had bundled herself beneath the blankets to create a cocoon around her, but one of her legs was sticking out the side of the bed and she had pulled a pillow over her head. "It is time to wake, milady," Aeva sighed and drew the curtains back. Dany poked her head out from under her pillow and hissed at the light that invaded the room.

"It's too early," Dany yawned and drew the pillow over her head, "Gimme ten minutes,"

"It is well past dawn Lady Dany, and Elladan has requested that you join him outside after breakfast," Aeva told her as she laid out Dany's newly washed clothes. Dany groaned and pulled the pillow from her face and began to disentangle herself from the sheets, muttering profanities under her bed. Aeva chuckled and handed the clothes to Dany who gladly accepted.

"Do you have any deodorant?" Dany asked while she changed under the covers, much to the amusement of Aeva.

"Any what?" Aeva did not know what deodorant was, except that it sounded strange and not very nice.

"You know, stuff you put under your arms so you don't smell as bad?" Dany asked as she slid into her jeans.

"Oh! There are some oils you can use for that," Aeva exclaimed and handed Dany one of the oils that lined the chest of drawers. Dany slapped on the pale liquid under her arms and sniffed them, pleased with the fragrance they now gave off. Aeva cleared her throat and Dany looked up from clasping her bra behind her back.

"Breakfast will be brought to your room," the elf told Dany and left the room.

The young woman sighed and looked up the carved ceiling, admiring the intricate design of the roses climbing up the wooden beams. Dany brushed out her hair with the comb Aeva had given her and frowned at the asymmetrical curls that hung by her jaw, she had never really liked them and she cursed her dad for his curly hair he had passed down to her. Dany's eyes were still slightly red and puffy from when she had cried during the night and she frowned again. After her non-existent conversation with her best friend and after an hour of tossing and turning Dany had wandered onto her balcony, looking up to the bright stars that shone like diamonds in the ink-black sky. The young woman had only ever seen that many stars when she had camped out in the Sahara with her best friends on a safari trip to celebrate graduation from university, but even then they were inferior to the mesmerizing sky of Middle Earth. Dany had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning only to be woken up by Aeva four hours later. With not much sleep the dark circles beneath her eyes were more prominent and her eyelids drooped, but Dany was used to it when she worked towards deadlines at college and university. Dany tied the laces of her Converse around her feet just as the door opened and Aeva entered with a plate of bread, berries and water for her to break her fast. She quickly said her thanks and Aeva left again before she scoffed down the fruit apple, enjoying the vibrant flavours that burst in her mouth and over her tongue. She was wary of the bread (which there had been plenty of, at least six pieces) which looked a little like the rustic bread she had ordered while in Italy. Cautiously, Dany took a bite. It tasted mainly of nothing but it was pleasant and Dany wolfed down all six slices and left the plate on the side when she left the room.

The many corridors of the ginormous house were difficult to navigate through but she eventually found her way to the courtyard where Elladan wanted to meet her and Charlie. Dany had brought nothing except herself and her jacket and she saw Charlie and Elladan sitting on a stone bench. Glorfindel was also impatiently loitering about; he was itching to get the riding lessons started. "Dany! Why are you always late?" Charlie cried and she huffed in annoyance. She had tied her hair up into a bun on her head and had ditched light grey jumper she had worn on their first day of work in favour of a short Elven tunic she had borrowed.

"Sorry," Dany mumbled as she sat on the bench, "I needed a good sleep," Charlie scoffed at this and Elladan looked up at her.

"What amuses you so, milady?" he asked curiously.

"This is the girl who refused to go to bed for three days because she was playing Grand Theft Auto 5 and ploughing her way through every season of Supernatural, then remembered she had an essay due the next day so she was doing that all night," Charlie replied. Elladan frowned and so did Glorfindel. "So basically she didn't go to sleep for four days," Charlie clarified and Dany shrugged.

"It was hilarious," Charlie continued and the two elves listened eagerly. "She was completely hysterical and…"

"I think that's enough!" Dany interrupted and threw her hands in the air. Glorfindel and Elladan chuckled softly while Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Glorfindel enquired.

"Yeah but I only had half a slice of bread, it was so filling," Charlie yawned and stretched out her legs.

"It is lembas bread, one small bite fills your stomach," Elladan clarified and Dany's eyes widened.

"What?" Charlie asked, "How much did you eat?"

"All the berries, two apples and…" Dany trailed off.

"And what?"

"Six slices of the lembas," she said quietly and Charlie burst into laughter again along with the two elves. Dany rolled her eyes again, clearly this was going to be a long day.

"I think it is time to begin your riding lessons," declared Glorfindel once he had calmed down.

The golden haired elf led them down some flights of stone steps and across a walkway towards a magnificent yet simple stone building where the horses were kept, where one elf was currently leading a tall chestnut horse out of the building and he swiftly mounted it, and with a whistle was riding off into the distance before Dany and Charlie could blink.

"Wow…" Dany breathed.

"Myself and Lady Dany shall begin her sword fighting lessons," said Elladan and he started to lead Dany away.

"I thought I was going to learn how to ride?"

"You will, but not right now. We both have a feeling you will excel in swordsmanship rather than horsemanship…" Elladan explained and Dany slapped her hand against her chest in mock offence.

"For all you know I could be an amazing rider," she gasped sarcastically. Elladan chuckled and guided her over to a small and flat clearing which had a small building (more of a hut really) positioned at the side.

"I shall fetch you a suitable weapon," the elf told her, "We will train with swords and daggers first," he said and strode over to the hut. Dany gulped. Suddenly, this was becoming very real. With daggers and swords and bows and arrows and goodness knows what else it would be likely she would get injured and she would have to defend herself, in other words actually kill things. There were no guns or bombs she could use from a distance so she would have to face her enemies up close if she stood a chance.

_Enemies._

These thoughts made her knees go weak so she quickly sat down and held her head between her knees, and she tried to steady her heart that was pounding wildly in her chest. Dany took large gulps of air to clear her head just as Elladan returned with the weapons. "Milady, are you alright?" he asked and his brow creased.

"Wh-what? Yes, I'm fine," Dany lied as she looked up. Elladan was not entirely convinced but he stood her up anyway, eager to start the lesson.

"This is only a spare blade for training but it will do for the time being," Elladan said simply and he handed the weapon to Dany. It was light and plain and had a carved handle, so to Elladan it was nothing special. The engineer in Dany awakened and she gazed at the blade in awe, running her fingers over the smooth and shiny surface. "Do you find it beautiful?" the elf asked as he looked at the mortal.

"No," Dany replied and Elladan frowned, slightly offended by her remark of the smith's work, "I find it fascinating," Elladan's scowl faded and was replaced by a warm smile. This mortal woman surely was strange. Brushing the thoughts aside Elladan sprung into teaching her the basics of swordfighting.

"Do you favour your left or right?"

"Right," Dany replied.

"Hold the sword at the bottom of the grip in your right hand and put your left hand just above it, like this," Elladan adjusted her fingers so they were in the correct position. "Does that feel comfortable?" He asked and Dany nodded so he carried on. "Stand with your feet a small distance apart, like this," Elladan pushed her feet slightly apart with his own.

"Okay," Dany acknowledged. This was easy so far.

"Take a swing," Elladan encouraged and he stepped back. Dany held her breath and swung the sword, trying her best but not wanting to strain herself.

"Was that good?" she asked hopefully.

"It was alright," Elladan replied and he stepped forward again, "But it would certainly not injure an enemy that much, let alone kill them," Elladan continued. "You put a lot of power in your right arm but not your left, so the swing was quite weak," Dany nodded, knowing that he was right. She took her cue to swing again when he stepped back but this time she concentrated her power into both of her arms instead of just her right. The resulting swing was far more powerful and deadly and her blade whistled slightly as it cut through the air. "Much better," Elladan praised and he grinned, and Dany smiled back.

In a stall in the stables Charlie mounted Asfaloth with no help from Glorfindel, and she sat straight in the saddle and held her head high, pleased with the height she had over the tall elf. "Does he have a name?" she asked him.

"Asfaloth," Glorfindel replied and stroked the horse's mane.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful horse," Charlie whispered and Asfaloth whinnied in delight, making Glorfindel grin. He gracefully leapt onto the horse behind Charlie, surprising her with how natural he made the act seem. He reached round her side to pick up the reins, and handed them to Charlie, the feeling of them unnatural in her hands after not riding for so long. Glorfindel gently tapped his right foot on the side of the horse, and Asfaloth started moving, slowly and gently, like he knew that she was a fairly inexperienced. The rough leather was uncomfortable to hold onto and she couldn't stop it slipping through her hands. The elf chuckled softly next to her ear and reached round to her hands threading the reins through them.

"Through the first fingers, and then loop it round like this," he explained as he finished securing the reins in her hands. His own were soft and without any sign that he'd ever fought,_ not that his enemy would ever get close to his hands_, Charlie thought to herself.

"Show me what you can do," Glorfindel stated to a surprised Charlie, who was trying to remember every lesson she'd ever had. She tapped the horses side, mirroring what Glorfindel had done, and straightened up. The second kick was enough to spur Asfaloth into a fast trot, the third for a fairly slow but what was nevertheless a gallop.

Navigating the forest would not have been easy if Asfaloth had been anything other than the experienced gentle being he was. The thick leaves, the winding and twisting roots which appeared everywhere, the low branches which thick enough to knock anyone off if they were raised off the ground, all made riding dangerous and difficult. It was why Glorfindel had decided not to take another horse and instead ride with her. It would be far easier to take over in an emergency. He had worried that with her lack of lessons she would need a significant amount of help, but Glorfindel was surprised at how smoothly Charlie rode, and how quickly she had been willing to start a horse she had only ever ridden once. _She must have some sort of natural talent, _he thought_, I haven't seen many human riders to be so natural. _

Glorfindel swiftly leapt off as naturally as he had got on the moving horse and leant on a tree to watch Charlie fully. He noticed that she had a habit of slouching as she rode, curving her back slightly, as if she struggled to reach the reins, which was not the case. Charlie had noticed Glorfindel studying her, but brushed it off, _he's obviously watching me ride, why on earth would it be anything else?_ She sighed softly, and blushed at how ridiculous that thought had been. After all he was her teacher; it was his job to study how she was riding, how she could improve. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked noticing how he had begun to frown a little.

"You slouch a little as you ride," Glorfindel walked over to her. He raised his hand above his head and grabbed a very gnarled and twisted branch, which bent very little under his weight, and he swung himself to balance on the back of the horse. Charlie flinched. The sheer force with which he had used to swing onto Asfaloth was intimidating, especially so as he had angled it in her direction. "You must sit up straight," he whispered gently in her ear, placing his hand gently on her stomach and back, shaping her body to how it should be when riding. Charlie's breath hitched in her throat at the touch, but quickly sat up how he wanted her too. He hopped off and leaned back on the tree. Asfaloth started back into a slow gallop, and Charlie let herself relax, making sure she sat up straight. Glorfindel watched from the tree, smirking at how she frowned every now and then remembering to sit up straight. Eventually when she disappeared from obvious sight, she allowed herself to blush, and yet again tried to brush it off. _Come on, you're overreacting,_ she told herself, _and anyway you need to go back, before you get to the part of the woods you're not supposed to go in._ Charlie struggled to tell the horse what to do, as she expected he only knew Elvish commands.

To her surprise Asfaloth turned back once he realised what his human rider was trying to accomplish. He slowed down to a trot, approaching Glorfindel who was still leaning on the tree, and also smirking.

"Stop smirking pretty boy," Charlie teased when seeing his facial expression. Upon hearing it, his smirk turned into a proper smile and he chuckled to himself. He'd never been called a "pretty boy" before, and it was interesting for the female human to be so bold.

"You ride well, far better than I expected you to," he complimented.

"Well, I try to be surprising," she joked back, flicking her hair in an obviously fake way as a joke. She snickered at how it surprised him that she would be sarcastic and joke around him, as most elves and mortals were humble and quiet around elves which were on the slightly more important side. He offered her a hand off the horse. Charlie took it, but caught her foot which she was trying to swing over on a very low lying branch. She fell, bracing herself for the harsh impact of the unforgiving ground, gasping when strong arms locked around her waist, flipping her the right way up again. She looked up at his fair face then quickly looked away again, embarrassed.

"Would you like to walk back instead my l-Charlie? You can see the forest much better if you are not riding," Glorfindel had to stop himself falling into his frequent habit of using "my lady" to address the young woman, as Charlie thoroughly disliked it. More than anything it made her feel uncomfortable.

"Yes, if that's ok?" Charlie said hopefully, so that she could appreciate the beauty of the surrounding forest without the distraction of keeping control of Asfaloth.

"Of course Charlie, I would not have offered otherwise," He plainly stated as he started walking, hands clasped behind his back with Asfaloth's reins in one.

Charlie hurried along. The elf was walking slower than usual so that she could keep up, despite her being a fast walker. The beauty of the place was not obvious, and it may even appear ugly from first glance, but the closer she looked, the more beautiful it became. The shapes of the trees against the pure blue sky could've looked creepy, and probably should've, but instead the twisting shapes upon the blue canvas were truly amazing. Charlie had tuned out, missing the gentle breeze and the snapping of sticks beneath her feet.

But despite being fascinated by her surroundings it still reminded her that this wasn't her home, and it wasn't her world she was in. It was as if her and Dany had borrowed this world from someone else, and neither of them were sure if they wanted to have it. "Tell me what it's like where you're from," Glorfindel appeared to be able to read her mind, or at least her expression.

"It's very different from here," She started, "there are more advancements in science, which explains how things work, and why certain things happen-,"

"Tell me about your life," Glorfindel elaborated, realising he probably should've been more specific.

"I have a large group of friends, but none of them are closer to me than Dany. I'm devoted to our work, have been since I realised that I loved it. I have my parents, who encourage me to do what makes me happy. Oh god, they're going to be so worried," She thought of her mother and father, of her and Dany's friends, of work and Dr Jacobs and Jerome and Kev and wondered how much herself and Dany would be missed. Were people looking for them? Or had they really fallen of that building to their deaths?

"What if we're dead in that world? My parents, oh my- Dany's parents too. All our friends…," Tears now ran down her cheeks, staining them with the little makeup she had on. "It'll destroy them," she choked out, burying her head in her hands. Charlie felt the same strong arms that had caught her from the horse envelope her in a hug. She sobbed against the elf's tunic, glad that she had something, more specifically someone, to hold her up. "I just-," she was interrupted by her own crying and Glorfindel started stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe her. It was strange how he had acted in such a way, hugging her when he would not do the same of it were a fellow elf. He felt a pang in his chest when she looked up at him with tear stained cheeks, eyes brimming over with them. It was a new strange feeling for the elf, who tried to dismiss the worry for her. Yet still he hugged her closer, muttering soothing words in Elvish quietly. They stood for a while, him supporting her, and her trying to stop crying, eventually hugging him back. A few more minutes passed and he lifted her head to see his face, and Glorfindel yet again surprised himself by wiping away the tears that remained on her pale cheeks. Charlie looked up, giving him a small smile and making eye contact. It shocked her to see deep concern and worry in not just his eyes but his face too.

"I'm sorry," she started and he put a finger to her lips, telling her to be quiet. "Thank you," she tried again, looking embarrassed. He merely picked up a loose strand of highlighted hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"Do not worry," returning her small smile he had received. "Shall we continue walking?" he said pulling out of the embrace. She nodded and they continued on.

"I apologise Charlie, for bringing the subject up," Glorfindel said after a while. The pang he felt earlier had been replaced by guilt, guilt for asking the question that had upset her so much.

"It was an innocent question, Glorfindel, I just hadn't realised I would react so badly to thinking back to my own world," Charlie didn't want him to feel at all bad for her outburst.

"Is it informal for, you to not, you know, not use my full name with "Lady" in front of it?" Charlie asked. The question had been on the tip of her tongue for the past few hours, for it bothered her how everyone reacted when she and Dany had said not to call them 'Lady Charlotte' and 'Lady Daniella'.

"It is, more because we will only really do that for our closest friends," the elf replied.

Her only response was a little "oh".

They walked peacefully in comfortable silence until a question popped into Charlie's head.

"Do you- I mean have you ever had a nickname?" She blurted out before thinking how stupid she was. _Like an elf would've ever had a nickname_, she thought to herself.

"No, actually I haven't," Glorfindel could see her furiously blushing, obviously thinking that the question had been stupid. "Why?" He asked.

"I just thought that it may feel, you know, more normal talking to you if I called you something other than Glorfindel," she started. He raised his eyebrows. "Not that Glorfindel's not a lovely name, it really is, it's just, it wouldn't be a normal name in my world," Charlie explained, then thought again. Glorfindel had a puzzled look upon his face then Charlie suddenly burst out, "FINNY!"

"Pardon me Charlie, but what?" Glorfindel seemed confused.

"Well- uhm, your name is GlorFINdel, and "Fin", or "Finny", would be a more common name where I'm from!" Charlie explained herself.

"If it makes you happy," Glorfindel trailed off.

"Really? You mean I can call you that?!"Charlie exclaimed and threw her arms around him. He chuckled, returning the hug.

"If it makes you happy," he repeated.

Dany collapsed onto the soft grass of the clearing clutching her sword, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. Elladan was towering over her, his own blade pressed to the side of her neck. "You were too slow," he said in a low voice as he pulled his blade away.

"Jesus Christ, give me a break," Dany huffed and she fell back into the grass.

"You must keep practicing," Elladan said softly.

"We've been at this for five fucking hours! Could I at least have a break?" Dany shouted and she threw the sword to the side. She had steadily improved and could now hold up a short and non-powerful fight, but her skills were much to be desired. Elladan sighed. Mortals did not have the stamina of elves and he had noticed both her and the other young woman had short attention spans, so Dany had become bored quickly after the first half hour.

"If you must," Elladan spoke simply, "I must go find my brother to speak of patrols,"

"Thank you, Danny Boy!" Dany cried, "Hey, we have the same nickname!"

"So you have given me a nickname?" Elladan teased as he crossed his arms.

"Well yeah, your name is too long to say," Dany sat up and shrugged, "We're the Two Danny's now."

"If you insist," Elladan smiled back, "I will have someone teach you to ride this afternoon," and with that the elf left Dany in the grass. The young woman sighed and picked her almost numb limbs of the grass to go and look for Charlie, who was still having her lesson with Glorfindel. Her legs and shoulders hurt from swinging the blade too much so she stumbled up the steps, deciding against finding her best friend who was probably too far away for her to find. Her feet pattered along the stone and she skipped over the cracks like a young child, bringing smiles to the faces of elves that passed, and as each passed Dany smiled warmly at them. There were no greetings exchanged between them (frankly the other elves of Rivendell did not encounter mortal women often) but they knew Dany had acknowledged them. The rumours that told of young mortals from an entirely different world had spread through the gossiping elves of Rivendell quickly, and they were very much intrigued by the story but they respectfully kept their distance. A musical voice pulled Dany out of her reverie. "Lady Dany?" Arwen called from across the walkway, "Would you care to join me for lunch?"

"Sure," Dany called back and she skipped towards the fair elf.

While they ate lunch Arwen questioned Dany of her city, friends, family and her job. "I must admit, your world sounds quite amazing," Arwen sighed.

"It is," Dany murmured, "And like every, uh, world, it has its upsides and downsides," Arwen nodded and told Dany of the other places in Middle Earth where elves still dwelt. "So Lothlórien is where me and Charlie are gonna go?" Dany asked.

"Yes and the Elves there are peaceful and kind. They shall not harm you," Arwen reassured her. Dany opened her mouth to ask another question when Elladan appeared in the courtyard.

"I sincerely apologise milady, but as of recent events I have not been able to find you a riding instructor," said he as his eyes fell to look at his shoes.

"Are you busy?" Dany asked and the elf nodded.

"I can teach her," Arwen suddenly spoke out, "I have ridden for many years," Elladan looked up and smiled at his sister.

"Would that be alright, Lady Dany?"

"That would be great!" Dany exclaimed and she beamed at Arwen next to her. "Have you seen Charlie?"

"Nay, but herself and Glorfindel should be back by now. She will need to learn to master the sword more than the horse if she is to travel to Lothlórien," Elladan replied and he swiftly took his leave. Dany turned to Arwen who had finished her meal and was standing up.

"I must change my clothes if I am to teach you how to ride," Arwen explained, "I shall meet you at the stables in ten minutes," the she-elf swept off to her room to change out of her ornate dress so Dany slowly wandered back to the stables, breathing in the clean air and taking in the magnificent surroundings.

When she entered the stables she could hear Charlie laughing in the end stall. Dany speed walked over to the door and kicked it open, screaming "HOWDY MOTHERFUCKERS!" Charlie and Glorfindel were laughing as they brushed Asfaloth and his mane, but abruptly stopped when Dany entered.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON?" Glorfindel raised his voice, "I would never, ever-"

"It's just a saying, pretty boy," Dany teased. Glorfindel remembered Charlie called him that earlier and he smiled, though he was still confused.

"What the hell Dany?" Charlie asked with a scowl on her face. She threw the brush at Dany's head who dodged it easily, grinning when it cracked against the wall. Charlie had been thoroughly enjoying herself with Glorfindel (and she daresay quite romantically) until her friend came barging in screaming profanities.

"Arwen's gonna teach me to ride," Dany declared proudly, "How did your lesson go?" Charlie and Glorfindel looked at each other briefly before Glorfindel replied.

"Very well, Charlie here is a natural rider," the elf told her and he set the brush he had been holding down. "But if you must excuse me, I have some business I have to attend to. I shall see you later, Charlie," and he stepped passed Dany.

"Bye, Finny," Charlie called after him and he turned around to grin at her before leaving.

"Finny? You have to be kidding me," Dany smirked then Charlie rounded on her.

"Thanks a lot," she hissed, "That's the first piece of hot ass that's given me a second look since uni!" Charlie exclaimed and Dany started giggling. "It's not funny!" Charlie said but it didn't convince her or Dany, and she soon burst into fits of giggles. Little did the two know, Glorfindel was standing outside the stables and had heard everything Charlie had said, a grin plastered across his fair face.

"No Lady Dany, you are holding the reins wrong," Arwen moved Dany's fingers on the leather to the correct position for the umpteenth time in the past hour. Dany heaved a heavy sigh as the horse,

Daeroch, trotted forward slightly. Her progress in riding had been a lot slower than her swordfighting. She knew how to control the horse and how to urge it into gallops and trots, but her control was so bad Arwen had to intervene countless times to stop her from being thrown to the floor, though that had not stopped her taking a few tumbles into the dirt.

"This is hopeless," she cried as Daeroch stopped suddenly due to her accidently digging her ankles into his sides.

"Some are just not meant for riding," Arwen sighed and she began to lead the horse back to the stables, "Take my friend Rina, she hates riding horses and prefers to walk,"

"I'd prefer a car," Dany mumbled as she slouched in the saddle.

"A what?"

"A car, it's a metal carriage that is run on fuel and it moves by itself," Dany explained sleepily, though she knew it was much more to cars than that.

"Fascinating," Arwen whispered and helped Dany dismount. Once Daeroch was safely inside his stall the two females walked back to the house where a hot bath was waiting for Dany. "You can take dinner at whatever time you like," Arwen told Dany whilst they walked through the halls, "Though you might want to eat with Lady Charlie,"

"Thank you Arwen, for everything you've done," Dany thanked the elf, who smiled back at her.

"It was certainly interesting," Arwen replied and they both giggled at the image of Dany falling flat in the mud after provoking Daeroch. The dirt was still smudged across her face and hands and her hair was wild after falling into leaves and twigs, but Dany didn't mind. Arwen walked silently down the corridors back to her own rooms when Charlie and Glorfindel rounded the corner to see Dany. "Good God man, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Charlie teased upon seeing Dany's unruly appearance, making Glorfindel chuckle. Charlie's smooth riding meant that her hair was still perfectly flat, though Dany knew she had just got back from sword training due to the few hairs that clung to her slightly sweaty neck.

"Well you're not exactly a princess either, sweet cheeks," Dany retorted and Charlie's eyes narrowed. A low laugh erupted from Glorfindel which made Charlie and Dany's eyebrows rise. But then the elf couldn't stop laughing and his face was slowly turning red and he clutched his sides. "Jesus Christ, we've broken him already," Dany muttered with wide eyes and Glorfindel just laughed harder. He clung to the wall while tears streamed down his face and low masculine laughs came from his throat.

"I cannot- I cannot breathe," he choked out as another powerful laugh shook his body. Soon he was doubled over and his laughs were coming out in gasps whilst he wiped his eyes, and after seeing the confused looks upon the girls' faces he was practically choking.

"I'm gonna go and have a bath now," Dany sighed as she opened her door, "It wasn't even that funny…" she muttered and Glorfindel screamed with laughter again.

After Charlie had taken a still shaking Glorfindel back to Lord Elrond (with a quick explanation on why he was so red-faced) she had taken her bath. She used the fragrant oils again to soothe the aching muscles in her upper body, frowning when she realised she had slightly injured her shoulder whilst being trained with swords by Glorfindel. Charlie's strength certainly lay in riding; it was almost embarrassing how many times Glorfindel disarmed her without batting an eyelid. After changing into some clean leggings and the vest top she had worn when she fell Charlie left her room and hurried to the courtyard where she promised to meet Glorfindel and Dany. The golden-haired elf was already waiting, still smiling from before. "What's got you grinning Finny?" Charlie asked and Glorfindel chuckled again.

"Lady Dany is even stranger than you," he replied and Charlie snorted.

"We're both as strange as each other, and if you think that Dany insulting me was the funniest thing ever you clearly have no idea about us," said Charlie and the elf grinned. Dany then came charging into the courtyard with her hair still damp from her bath.

"I see you can't stop talking about me," she teased and winked at Glorfindel who spluttered on his wine.

"Don't start him off again," Charlie warned and Dany rolled her eyes.

"Elladan told me you did well in your sword training," Glorfindel stated to Dany.

"It certainly went better than my riding lesson," she grumbled and Charlie smirked. Arwen had told the elf of Dany's misfortunes and Glorfindel laughed again, showing off a set of pearly white teeth.

"Are you enjoying your time in Rivendell?" Glorfindel asked and Charlie nodded enthusiastically.

"It's so beautiful here, like a fairytale. Nothing like home…" Charlie trailed off, remembering her episode earlier in the woods. Glorfindel sighed and smiled encouragingly at her, so she returned the smile too. "The scenery is so different, the elves are so nice, there are-"

"Pieces of hot-ass?" Glorfindel teased and Charlie choked on her broccoli. Dany burst into fits of laughter and Charlie blushed a deep tomato red, making Glorfindel laugh again.

"You- you heard everything?" she stammered, the tips of her ears turning red.

"Every single word," Glorfindel replied and Dany fell to the floor, clutching her stomach.

"My Lord!" Lindir came rushing into the courtyard, slightly taken aback by Dany rolling on the floor. Glorfindel's head snapped up to indicate he was listening. "Lord Elrond has requested yours and Lady Dany and Charlie's presence," he said breathlessly. "Mithrandir has arrived."

Hopefully this chapter was alright, we will probably update in four or five days. Please Rate and Review, and thanks to everyone who reviewed so far (Noxy the Proxy, drwatsonn, alexma, AbigailPeters and DeLacus) it is greatly appreciated!


	6. Chapter 5

"I assume you expected me," Gandalf murmured as Elrond led him to his study.

"Of course I did," Elrond replied curtly. He opened the door and dipped his head for Gandalf to enter the spacious room which was filled with scriptures up to the ceiling. "But there is another matter at hand other than the impending darkness," the elf continued and he sat down. Gandalf listened carefully to his old friend, curious about what could be as important as the fate of Middle Earth. "Glorfindel found two mortal women injured in our forest. It appears that they are not of this world," Gandalf raised his bushy eyebrows and sighed.

"How are you sure?" the old wizard enquired and he leant on his staff.

"They wear strange clothing and carry objects I have never seen before," Elrond pressed his fingers together; "They say they are 'sustainable engineers' from a city called London."

"Very curious," Gandalf murmured, "I shall speak with them soon. Have you heard from the hobbits?"

Elrond shook his head. "Nay, we have not heard from them. The other representatives are due to arrive in the next few days. It is sheer chance that Elves, Men, Dwarves and now Hobbits are coming together," the elf mused.

"The world works in strange ways even Elves cannot comprehend," the wizard sighed. "Is Bilbo here?"

"Yes, though he has been rather withdrawn for the past week. I don't think he even knows of Lady Charlie and Lady Dany's appearance," Elrond replied. Gandalf smiled at the mention of the girls' odd names.

"Do you have any theories about the women's appearances?" Gandalf asked. Over the course of history a few strange objects had randomly turned up all over Middle Earth, but it was only during the last half-century that more and more of these items had appeared, which the Order Gandalf belonged to had quickly collected and stored away from prying eyes. Of course, the items that had appeared were small and easily dismissible, the wizard had never heard of people showing up amongst the races.

"Their surnames are of old Vanerian warriors," Elrond sighed and Gandalf's interest peaked.

"The Elves of Vana have been long since gone," the wizard whispered and Elrond nodded. "Do you think they are descended from them?" Gandalf enquired and he frowned. He had heard rumours of the Queen saving the Elven children, but even the powerful Elves did not have the magic to transport objects to a different realm.

"They have no idea of their heritage," said Elrond, "They need to adjust to Middle Earth. I have suggested them travel to Lothlórien to speak with Lady Galadriel, though I do not know how to send them home. I think they have a greater purpose here,"

"Is it connected with the One Ring?"

"Perhaps, though I do not know how," Elrond replied, "I must go and sort out Elladan and Elrohir, apparently they put sleeping powder in the soup again," the elf sighed irritably and left the wizard to himself. Once he had left Gandalf stood up and lit his pipe, looking out into the valley while blowing rings of smoke from his mouth.

"Very curious," Gandalf muttered with the pipe hanging from his lips. "Very curious indeed."

Meanwhile Dany and Charlie were bombarding poor Glorfindel with questions about this mysterious Mithrandir. "Who are they?" Charlie asked and Glorfindel rolled his eyes.

"Mithrandir is a friend of Rivendell. He is a wizard who has been of great help to the Elves," he replied in a slightly irritated tone.

"A wizard? A wizard!" Dany shouted breathlessly, "Oh my God, wizards exist!"

"Of course we exist," a man's voice chuckled and the two girls turned to see an old man dressed in grey robes. "I am Gandalf the Grey, known to the Elves as Mithrandir," Gandalf introduced himself and the girls squealed.

"He's the real-life Dumbledore!" Charlie shouted and the wizard chuckled again. Gandalf walked over to one of the stone benches and sat down, beckoning for Charlie and Dany to do the same after they had jumped up at the mention of wizard.

"Pray tell me, what are your names?" the wizard asked for clarification as he ran his fingers over the tall wooden staff he owned.

"Full names?" Dany asked and Gandalf nodded. "Well, I'm Daniella Aeratail and this is Charlotte Malelenil," Dany gestured to Charlie. "Do you think you can help us?" Dany was so overwhelmed with the fact that this man was a 'wizard' that she didn't hesitate giving a stranger her name.

"I do not know how to help you," the wizard said softly and Dany and Charlie's faces fell. "But I do know that you have greater purpose here, young ones,"

Dany groaned. "So how long do you think we'll be stuck here?" she asked and the blunt comment stung Glorfindel a little.

"A week, a month, a year…" Gandalf trailed off and Charlie spluttered.

"We can't be stuck here for long; our parents will be worried sick!" shouted Dany and she kicked a stone with her shoe. Tears began to brim in her eyes but she refused to let them fall, she had done enough crying for the time being.

"All I say now is rest. When the time is right you will know your purpose," murmured Gandalf and his blue eyes narrowed, almost as if he was falling asleep.

"Fuck," Dany muttered and she got up to go bed. Charlie had been silent the whole time, just sitting still and staring blankly at the wizard. This unsettled Glorfindel so he offered to escort her back to her room, which Charlie gladly accepted without a word. Dany stormed back to her room without a second glance and flung the door open, spitting a 'goodnight' behind her at Charlie and Glorfindel before slamming her door shut, and both the mortal and the elf heard her jump onto her bed and scream into her pillow.

Glorfindel looked at Charlie, though she was not concerned with her friend. Her face was blank, but her eyes were misty and full of pain, and Glorfindel could see the tears begin to gather on her waterline. The elf and the mortal wandered the halls of the house in silence. "I am sorry you cannot return home soon," Glorfindel sighed as the two found themselves on a balcony.

"I know," Charlie weakly replied and offered a small smile.

"But you must get comfortable here and enjoy your time; it is likely to not last forever," Glorfindel said softly whilst he looked to the stars. Charlie let out a strangled sob and the elf quickly realised he had said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry Charlie, please don't cry," the elf apologised and he pulled the crying mortal into his arms, "I did not realise what I was saying,"

"It's not your fault Finny," Charlie sobbed and Glorfindel swore his heart broke in two when she spoke his nickname, "We both had lives, y'know? A job, families, friends, independence…" Charlie continued, "Now we're stuck in a strange world. I miss everything. I just want to go back home," the girl finished and more tears flowed from her eyes.

"You will return soon," Glorfindel reassured her but he himself did not know if he was right, "This business with the, uh, darkness will not last more than a few years,"

"A few years?" Charlie choked out, "That is not soon!" she cried and Glorfindel chuckled slightly. "I do not want to spend years in a world I do not know. Life's too short!"

"If you do not mind me asking Charlie, but how old are you?" the elf asked her.

"Twenty two," she replied and Glorfindel sighed. She was so young in the eyes of an elf, no wonder she was missing her home.

"You must rest Charlie, tomorrow the representatives are to arrive and we shall continue with your training," Glorfindel told her and chuckled when she groaned. Charlie pulled away from the elf wiped her face with her sleeve and began to walk back to her own room.

"Goodnight Finny!" she called behind her and the elf grinned.

"Goodnight Charlie!" he called back and started laughing when she waved back. When Charlie disappeared from his sight Glorfindel sighed and turned back to look at the landscape, observing the Elves who were still walking the streets of Rivendell. _What an intriguing mortal she was._

The next day Charlie was training again with Glorfindel, though she was more determined to succeed this time. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and tried to even her breathing, concentrating on trying to disarm the blond elf in front of her. They had been at this for hours, and frankly, she was hopeless. Charlie knew how to disarm opponents now thanks to the many hours of practicing from breakfast to way past midday, but unlike Dany she could not hold up a fight. "You are standing with your feet too close together, it is making you slower," Glorfindel ordered her so she moved her feet apart. "Good, now try to knock the blade out of my hands." Charlie tried but she was so tired Glorfindel didn't need to bother with strength.

"I'm so tired Finny," Charlie huffed and she doubled over to try and stop the stitch forming in her left side.

"You have been training for hours so you can rest. You have greatly improved," Glorfindel praised and Charlie dropped to her knees on the soft grass.

"I'm still terrible, not like Dany," Charlie muttered and Glorfindel sighed.

"You have different strengths. According to Elladan, Dany is a natural at predicting her enemy's next move, though Arwen assures me she is no rider," remarked Glorfindel and Charlie laughed, remembering how dirty and dishevelled her friend had been when she returned from her riding lesson.

"Speak of the Devil," Charlie called out just as Dany stormed into sight with a scowl on her face.

"Why did you not show this morning?" Glorfindel questioned her and he crossed his arms in annoyance.

"I didn't feel like it," Dany snapped, "I wanted to get some more sleep after yesterday,"

Glorfindel nodded and noticed she was still in the dark mood she had been in after their talk with Mithrandir. "Elladan was needed elsewhere. Show me what you have learnt," Glorfindel challenged Dany who groaned.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Dany picked up the light blade she had used the other day and gripped it in the way Elladan had taught her. Suddenly Glorfindel lunged at her so she blocked his blade with her own, bringing it up into a high arc and knocking the sword out of his hands. "You could've counted me in!" she shouted but Glorfindel was thoroughly impressed. Charlie was quite surprised (she had clearly underestimated her friend) that Dany had reacted so quickly, even after seeing her quick reactions to numerous experiments in labs over the many years.

"I am impressed Lady Dany," Glorfindel told her, "You will be a fine warrior,"

"But I don't want to be a warrior!" Dany cried, "I want to stay a sustainable engineer!"

The elf sighed. Clearly the foul mood she was in was due to her homesickness. "If you are to live in this world and fulfil your purpose you must accept your fate," he told her sternly.

"But I don't want my fate to be decided for me! I want to live my own life!" Dany shot back and she threw the blade to the ground. Lindir appeared and hurriedly rushed to Glorfindel's side to whisper something in his ear.

"I have no time for arguments, I must go find Lord Elrond," Glorfindel ended the argument. "You did a good job today Charlie. We shall continue tomorrow," the elf said to Charlie sweetly before he sped off while speaking furiously with Lindir in their other language.

Dany rolled her eyes and flopped down onto the grass next to her friend. "You shouldn't argue with him like that, he's only trying to help," sighed Charlie. Dany snorted.

"Seems you've been kissin' hot ass," she remarked and Charlie playfully smacked her before she started laughing. Dany rubbed her arm then started laughing too, forgetting the mood she was in. After screaming into her pillow for ten minutes the night before she had resorted to snapping a hairband against her wrist to ease her anger, and when the anger disappeared she had cried herself to sleep again. Dany laid her head back against the grass and looked at the clouds. "At least it's pretty here," she murmured and Charlie agreed. A low rumbling noise sounded on the path near the clearing and the two girls sat up to see what the kafuffle was about. Horses thundered along the road and through the stone archways before the riders gracefully dismounted without a sound, indicating that they were elves. Prince Legolas of Mirkwood was the last to dismount and he looked up in awe at the house of Lord Elrond, his blue eyes widening when he gazed upon the beauty of Rivendell. He walked around the side of his horse to collect his pack when he sensed eyes upon him. He turned around to see two mortal women, one of them extremely sweaty, sprawled upon the grass and gazing intently at him. _How curious_, he thought to himself. Legolas smirked when he noticed their jaws were hanging wide open (he was used to it after all) and he smiled at them. "Hubba hubba!" the dark haired one cried and he jumped back in surprise, "Sweet baby Jesus! Now that's a piece of hot-ass!" the woman shouted and her friend burst into fits of laughter. Legolas raised an eyebrow and chuckled in amusement. He had not heard anyone speak like that before, but he quickly dismissed the women to go back to his duty.

Dany and Charlie burst into even more fits of frantic giggles when the Elves left. "He heard us Dany!" Charlie giggled and tried to cover her mouth with her hand.

"I know," Dany sighed, "But one of them was damn fine," she said and Charlie snorted. "He was so dreamy…" the woman sighed and Charlie rolled her eyes, obviously he was not as attractive as Glorfindel. "His cheekbones made me weak at the knees!" Dany said in a dreamlike tone and Charlie almost choked, and they were soon rolling around in the grass in fits of laughter.

"Come on, I've had enough of nature," Charlie sighed and she wiped away the small tears in her eyes and she held out her hand for Dany to take. Dany was obviously in a much better mood and they put the swords away, chatting whilst they walked back to the house.

"You have to admit that guy was hot as fuck," Dany told Charlie who reluctantly nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose he was," replied Charlie and Dany smirked with a twinkle in her eye. "Oh God, you're not gonna try and get with him, are you?" Charlie gasped.

"Of course I am, and don't tell me you're not gonna try with Glorfindel!" Dany said and laughed when Charlie's cheeks turned red. "You so are!"

"No!" Charlie exclaimed, "But he is dreamy…"

"So when there are hot pieces of ass like them around, are we just gonna sit around and stare instead of getting some action!" Dany shouted and imitated a drill sergeant, roughly grabbing Charlie's shoulders and shaking them.

"No sir!" Charlie shouted and saluted Dany who laughed. Then a little man, no taller than waist height, came hobbling down the corridor. He had wispy white hair and a kind face, but he walked bare-footed and his feet were large and hairy, he also had slightly pointed ears so he surely wasn't human.

"What is going on out here?" he asked to himself and squinted at the girls.

"Uh, hi," Dany stuttered and let go of Charlie's shoulders.

"Women?" the little man asked, and when the two girls nodded cautiously his face broke into a wide smile. "I have not seen mortal women for many years!" the little man exclaimed and hobbled up to the two girls, who stepped back slightly. "Though I have not seen such dress," he mused as he took in their leather jackets and skinny jeans. "From where do you hail from?"

"Uh, we're not from around here," stuttered Charlie, "Or from anywhere here, actually,"

"By what do you mean?" the little man asked and he clasped his hands together.

"We're from a city called London…" Dany trailed off. How on Earth was she going to explain this?

"London? I don't believe I have heard of London," the man mused.

"Yeah, London isn't in Middle Earth," Charlie tried to explain. "We're from another, um, world."

The little man's eyes widened and then his smile grew wider, and he jumped in the air and clapped his hands together. "How wonderful!" he cried, "Strangers from another realm!"

"Yeah, but what are you?" Dany asked bluntly and the little man frowned.

"Do you not have hobbits from where you're from?" he questioned.

"No. And we don't have elves or dwarves or anything either," Charlie cut in.

"What a curious world," the hobbit murmured, "Oh! Excuse my rudeness, my name is Bilbo Baggins," Bilbo introduced himself and bowed slightly.

"And I'm Charlie and this is Dany," Charlie gestured to herself and her friend.

"It is nice to meet you, now you must come and tell me of your world!" Bilbo told them and hurried of to a courtyard, and Dany and Charlie looked at each other and smiled before following the hobbit.

"So you have these metal carriages that carry people to places with this 'fuel'?" Bilbo asked and the two girls nodded. "Fascinating! Absolutely fascinating!"

"And our job is to find new ways to create machinery and harness energy," Charlie said proudly and Bilbo looked as though he was about to explode with questions. They had spent almost two hours talking about Earth in the little courtyard and Dany and Charlie greatly enjoyed Bilbo's company. He was cheerful and inquisitive, but he always listened carefully when they were explaining something to him.

"And you live in cities of glass and steel?" the hobbit enquired.

"Not all of us, but a lot of us do," Charlie replied.

"And how many people live in your world?" Bilbo asked.

"Roughly seven billion," Dany answered and Bilbo spluttered.

"Seven billion?" he asked, slightly startled, "My my…"

"Yeah, it's becoming a bit of a problem. But that's too complicated to explain," sighed Dany and Bilbo nodded.

"Well, just be prepared when Merry and Pippin find you," Bilbo warned in a grave voice but he smiled.

"Merry and Pippin?"

"Yes, the little troublemakers…" Bilbo muttered and the two girls chuckled. Just as soon as they stopped chuckling a flurry of brown and green rushed past them and leapt onto Bilbo. Charlie and Dany realised that the flurry was two little men (probably hobbits, like Bilbo) dressed in waistcoats and they too had large hairy feet.

"BILBO!" the two Halflings cried, "We have not seen you since the party!" Bilbo chuckled as the two hobbits clambered off him.

"Who are they?" One of them asked. The two hobbits had curly hair and had adorable boyish features, Charlie just wanted to leap forward and pinch their cheeks.

"We're Charlie and Dany," she said and began to explain everything to them because damn, they were so _adorable_.

"Wow," one of them gasped, "You're from another world? You have to tell us everything! And I'm Pippin," said the little hobbit.

"And I'm Merry," the other said, who still had a shocked look upon his face. "You have to go meet Frodo and Sam!"

"They're hobbits like us," Pippin added, "But Frodo is not awake yet and Sam won't leave his side,"

"Did something happen?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Yes, but we'd rather not talk about it right now," Merry replied with a sad look on his face. The two girls nodded, but obviously there was something else going on. "Are you going to have dinner with everyone?" Merry asked and he brightened up.

"Yeah, I suppose we will." Dany shrugged. "You'd better go and have a bath Charlie, you smell funky."

Charlie gasped in mock offence and slapped a hand to her chest. "You don't smell too fresh either, honey," she shot back and the hobbits laughed, and Dany rolled her eyes. "But you're right; I should go have a bath," Charlie stood up and stretched. Dany agreed and stood up to go back to her room. "It was nice meeting you all." They bid their goodbyes and the two girls wandered back to their rooms where Aeva and Issa were waiting.

Dany entered her room to find the she-elf laying out a turquoise dress with gold detail.

"Hopefully this dress will fit you better than the other," Aeva said without looking up, "It's larger around the bust and hips,"

"Do I really have to wear a dress?" Dany groaned as she pulled her Converse off.

"Yes, it is a formal dinner, no matter how much I have grown to like your jacket," Aeva chuckled and Dany grinned. "Since we didn't have exact measurements it has been made so you can adjust it slightly," Aeva told the woman and the elf held up the dress to her. "It is a good colour for you," Dany nodded and walked to the adjoining bathroom where a hot bath was waiting for her.

"Thank-you for everything," she said softly and Aeva nodded.

"It has been my pleasure," the she-elf dipped her head, "I will return in half an hour to help you dress," Aeva then left Dany to her bath. The woman peeled off her clothes and soaked herself in the bath, washing her hair and using the many oils that surrounded the sides. Dany thought of home but tried to think positively, telling herself that she wouldn't be here long. Tears did not fall but her heart ached for her friends and family, and soon her thoughts wandered to the extremely attractive elf she had seen earlier, God was he a catch. If impressing him meant wearing a dress then so be it, she would make herself as desirable as possible, and hopefully she would be sitting near him at dinner. Dany clambered out of the water and dried her body off, wrapping the cloth around her body as she wandered back into her room. She pulled on some clean underwear but kept the cloth wrapped around herself. A knock on the door sounded and Aeva came in to help Dany with the dress. Thanks to the oils she used Dany's hair was drying quickly, and with some squeezing out and drying from the cloth it was only slightly damp. Aeva wordlessly slipped the turquoise blue dress over Dany's head and helped adjust it at the back. There was some support for her chest so there was no need to bind or wear a bra this time. "I expect the dressmaker did not expect it to sit like this," Aeva murmured and frowned.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Dany. Frankly, she thought the dress was beautiful.

"It is not very modest…" Aeva muttered, "Are you comfortable with it?"

"Yes! I mean, I've worn a lot less," Dany said cheekily and Aeva chuckled again.

"Would you like me to braid your hair?" the elf asked and Dany nodded. Her curls were starting to appear again in her drying hair but Dany didn't mind. "I have never seen hair with curls like these…" Aeva murmured and she wrapped a lone ringlet around her finger.

"Yeah, they're really annoying," Dany huffed and Aeva laughed.

"Well I think they're beautiful," the elf answered and Dany blushed slightly. Aeva twisted the hair into a single braid around her head; letting most of her curls hang loose. "I will leave you to finish getting ready," said Aeva.

"Are you coming to dinner?" Dany asked hopefully.

"Nay, but I will be helping prepare it," Aeva answered and Dany's face fell, "But it is my job, do not worry Lady Dany. You look beautiful," and with a large smile the elf left the room to go to the kitchens. Dany sighed and sat down in front of the mirror, pulling out her concealer, mascara, eyeliner and lipstick out of her bag. She applied them all and smiled at herself in the mirror, and then stood up to smooth out her dress. Aeva had adjusted it so that it covered most of her chest, but then Dany thought about the mysterious sexy elf she had seen earlier. Dany moved the material on her chest further apart, knowing that Aeva and the other elves would not approve, and she smirked at the thought. She put her small diamond earrings in her ears with the ear cuff and she slid her hand into her fake gold bracelet, and then she pulled on her red Converse. Like hell she was going to wear sandals or boots.

"DANY? ARE YOU IN THERE?" Charlie called from outside the door. "HURRY UP!"

"STOP YELLING WOMAN! I'M READY!" Dany shouted back and yanked the door open. "Wow,"

Both girls had the same idea when it came to impressing the males. Charlie was wearing a dark green low cut dress with gold accessories, and her hair was braided like Dany's. "Anyway, we're gonna be late. We gotta go,"

Both girls sped down the corridors adjusting their dresses as they went, and almost got lost twice in the winding halls. They eventually made it to the dining room where Glorfindel was waiting outside. "Hey Finny," Charlie greeted, though her words fell on deaf ears. The elf was too busy staring at her to notice that she had spoken, making Dany smirk.

Glorfindel shook his head and frowned. "Mani?"

"I said hey," Charlie spoke slowly and Glorfindel smiled.

"Sorry, hello to you too. You both look stunning," Glorfindel complimented and kissed both of their hands.

"Sorry about earlier Finny," Dany apologised.

"'tis nothing to fret about," Glorfindel replied and smiled, "Come, most of the representatives are already seated," he opened the door and led them to the room which opened up onto a balcony, and a long table was positioned in the middle with many places set. At the head of the table sat Lord Elrond, who had is children either side of him. Next to Elladan there was an empty seat, but next to that were Pippin, Merry and Bilbo, next to the Hobbits was another short old man (a dwarf, Dany later found out) with another ginger and younger looking dwarf next to him, and next to them were two more short men. Around the other side of the table there was a man with light brown hair and richly decorated clothes, and next to him were more fair elves with two empty seats, and beside them a scruffy but handsome man with shoulder length brown hair sat next to Arwen. All of them rose when Dany, Charlie and Glorfindel entered and sat down again. A few eyes widened at the dresses the girls wore but they said nothing. Dany saw the sexy elf she had seen earlier and almost gasped again at his beauty, but instead she caught his eye and winked at him. The tips of his ears turned red and a muscle in his cheek twitched, but he smirked back. "These are Ladies Charlie and Dany," Elrond spoke as he sat down again, "They all know of where you hail," he added while looking at the girls.

Glorfindel and Charlie took the two empty seats next to the sexy elf (much to the annoyance of Dany) but she took the empty seat opposite him. Dinner was being served and the table erupted in conversation. Dany's ears could pick out words and topics but nobody spoke with her, only Merry and Pippin who sometimes asked her and Charlie about their world. Dany took the time to study the elf opposite her and admired his features. His eyes were blue and clear, and his skin was smooth and creamy, his nose was in proportion with the rest of his face and his jawline was strong. The elf's cheekbones were high and prominent, which was something Dany had always found attractive, and his long blond hair was surprisingly sexy.

The elf caught her staring and she smirked at him, almost daring him to say something about it. He stopped his conversation with the man next to him and the man turned to talk with Arwen. His eyes trailed down from her face to her chest, studying her own features. Dany's face immediately heated up at his gaze and she gulped, almost gasping when he looked up and smirked back at her after seeing her blush. _Well shit, _Dany thought to herself, _I clearly didn't think this through._ Dany looked down at her meal and started to eat, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Legolas too looked down at his meal, feeling slightly guilty about Dany's embarrassment, though it had been too tempting to flirt with her. "So what's your name?" She suddenly spoke up. Legolas looked at her and smiled.

"Legolas, son of Thranduil of Mirkwood, milady," he introduced himself.

"Jesus, I only asked for your name," Dany muttered and Legolas chuckled. "What brings you to Rivendell?"

Legolas blinked. Did she not know of the impending war? Though, she was from another realm. "I am my father's messenger," he replied, not giving away too much information.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Legolas," said Dany and she held out her hand for him to shake.

"Mae govannen, Lady Daniella," Legolas answered and he brought her hand to his lips. Dany's eyes widened and she shivered slightly when he kissed her hand.

"You know, you were only meant to shake it," Dany muttered and she pulled her hand away, making Legolas chuckle again. When she had entered the room he had immediately recognised her as the woman from earlier, and he, like many others, was slightly startled at her not quite modest dress.

"Are you alright Legolas?" the man next to him asked. Legolas turned to look at him and replied:

"Yes, Aragorn. This is Lady Daniella," Legolas introduced Aragorn to Dany.

"Just Dany, thanks," the woman corrected and held out her hand, which Aragorn also brought to his lips.

"Jesus, what the fuck are all these people on?" Dany muttered and the elf and Aragorn chuckled. Just then some other elves entered the room and set up some instruments, which Dany recognised as harps. Dany raised an eyebrow at Charlie who looked a bit confused, but the Elves and the men seemed to enjoy the 'music'. The dwarves and the hobbits all looked at each other but dismissed the strange music. "What is this plinky plonky music?" Dany asked quite loudly and Charlie started chanting:

"Plinky plonky, plinky plonky, plinky plonky…" Dany soon joined in much to the amusement of Legolas and Aragorn.

"This music needs jazzing up!" Charlie shouted and lifted her leg up so it banged on the table and shook all the dinner plates, and pulled out her phone from her right shoe. Everybody looked very befuddled by the scene, but Dany had seen it all before. "How about Word Up?" Charlie suggested at Dany. By now the whole table had become silent, waiting for whatever was going to happen next, but Lord Elrond looked slightly amused by the whole scene.

"Let's do it," Dany cried and stood up from the table to join Charlie at the side. Charlie started to play the music on her phone, bobbing her head to the beat. Legolas' brow furrowed, he had never heard music as obscure as that before, and where on Middle Earth was it coming from? Glorfindel looked slightly less startled, expecting no less of the girls. Dany and Charlie started to sing (albeit in their terrible singing voices) and began to dance like Cameo in the music video.

_Yo pretty ladies around the world  
Got a weird thing to show you  
So tell all the boys and girls  
Tell your brother, your sister  
And your mama too  
Cause we're about to throw down  
And you'll know just what to do_

By now Dany was moonwalking across the floor, and she could hear the hobbits gasp at her weird dance moves. Charlie sashayed over to where Glorfindel was sitting and he spluttered on his wine, but obliged to join her when she held out her hand and pulled him out of his seat, making the elves and dwarves around him laugh.

_Wave your hands in the air  
Like you don't care  
Glide by the people as they start to look and stare  
Do your dance  
Do your dance  
Do your dance quick mama, come on baby tell me what's the word  
Word up  
Everybody say when you hear they call  
You've got to get it underway  
Word up, it's the code word  
No matter where you say it  
You'll know that you'll be heard_

Dany beckoned for Legolas to join her but he shook his head, he had a reputation to uphold. Glorfindel began to enjoy the strange music and Charlie taught him to dance like Cameo, which was harder than he expected, but he nonetheless 'had the booty for it' as Charlie later said. Dany pouted at Legolas and he chuckled, but it was not swaying his decision. The hobbits had jumped up and Dany had taken Merry's hands and began to twirl him around while Pippin tried to mimic her moonwalk, but it was difficult with his large feet. Most of the Representatives stayed in their seats and laughed after their original confusion while the others danced, but now Elladan and Elrohir had joined in with the arms flailing and feet kicking 'dance' and were laughing so hard their fair faces were bright red. The song finished and everybody walked back to their seats, slightly red-faced from the dancing and still chuckling. Legolas grinned at Dany whose dress had slightly shifted and she pulled it back into place.

"Oi, don't be such a Peeping Tom!" she scolded as she pulled her chair out. Legolas only chuckled and he winked at her, making Dany turn crimson red.

A little further down the table Charlie and Glorfindel were having a very in-depth conversation about the plinky-plonky music and Word Up. "Did you not find the music to your liking?" the elf teased and Charlie groaned.

"No, how can you stand it? It just made me sleepy."

"Perhaps there are other forms of music that make you sleepy," Glorfindel replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, like opera," said Charlie and Glorfindel burst out laughing, she had clearly not seen his meaning.

Arwen stood up from her seat and bid everyone goodnight. "I think it is time that I take my leave," she said softly and Aragorn offered her his hand, "I might go and take a walk in the garden," she said and Aragorn agreed.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Dany," Aragorn smiled and followed Arwen. Dany nodded at him as she took a gulp of wine, and ended up drinking the whole goblet in less than ten seconds.

"Whoa, that is good stuff," she croaked and Legolas laughed.

"Do you not feel the effects of alcohol?" he asked with a teasing tone.

"Like shit I don't," Dany replied and refilled her glass, "Most of my regrets are because of bloody alcohol," she continued, "Just ask Charlie. We were in Ibiza and Charlie drank so much she jumped on the table and started dancing, then the table flipped over and landed on some random guy," she recounted, and Legolas' eyes widened then he burst out laughing.

"Whatcha sayin' about me?" Charlie screamed from down the table and snapped her fingers.

"I ain't saying shit," Dany countered and snapped her fingers three times in a 'z' formation. Legolas was silently choking on his food from laughing and Charlie gasped.

"GLORFINDEL, HOLD MY WEAVE!" she screamed and slapped Glorfindel's chest and he jumped in surprise. By this point Legolas was almost crying and was banging his fist on the table. "You did not just tell them my Ibiza story!" she cried and Dany nodded. "Ooo, you are in big trouble missy!" Charlie wiggled her finger at her, "I'll just tell them about the Russians!"

"You wouldn't fucking dare Charlotte Malelenil!" Dany shouted back and Legolas leant back in his chair, preparing for the show.

"Oh but I would!" Charlie shouted, "This one time we were in Moscow these two Russian guys challenged us to a drinking game, and of course Dany accepted. But the Russians can really hold their alcohol, so ten shots of tequila and four glasses of vodka later Dany was running the streets of Moscow in her underwear, tripped over a dog and fell into a water fountain. She didn't get arrested but the police found it absolutely hilarious," Charlie finished and now Legolas and Glorfindel were wiping tears from their eyes. Dany turned bright red and immediately she felt her insides constrict. Her head began to pound when she heard the laughter of those around her and she sunk back into her seat, embarrassed.

Legolas frowned and stopped laughing, but then Lord Elrond suggested everybody to turn in for the night for the upcoming week. Everybody agreed and began to rise to go back to their rooms. Glorfindel offered to escort Charlie back to her room and she gladly accepted, while Dany was still annoyed and embarrassed with her best friend spilling her Russian secret. Legolas was still chuckling when he left the dining hall. He caught Dany's arm as she left and turned her around to face him.

"I have had great pleasure eating with you tonight Dany," he said softly and Dany's knees almost buckled. _Sweet Jesus, this hot piece of ass is actually speaking to me_, she thought to herself. "Will you be staying in Rivendell after this?"

"Yeah, but indefinitely. We're sure as hell not going anywhere," she replied, her voice almost cracking.

"Tenna' tul're," he said in the beautiful language and in his beautiful voice

"Um, right back at ya," Dany stuttered and Legolas laughed.

He then leant closer towards her and whispered; "Lle naa vanima." Dany almost whimpered when his hot breath tickled her neck. "Quel kaima," And with that Legolas swept off down the corridor, leaving Dany slightly breathless.

Glorfindel and Charlie walked arm in arm back to her room in silence, though Charlie was swaying slightly from the three goblets of wine she had consumed in the past few hours. They stopped outside her door and she pushed it open slightly, looking at Glorfindel before she entered the room, seeing that Glorfindel still loitered in the doorway.

"Why do you not come into my room?" she asked suddenly, catching Glorfindel off guard. He cleared his throat slightly before answering.

"It would not be proper," he replied and Charlie frowned.

"Look, I don't mind. I won't bite," she teased and Glorfindel laughed. He slowly stepped over the threshold and into her room. "I mean, you did save my life and everything," Charlie said softly.

"And I would willingly do it again," Glorfindel replied. Charlie felt tears brim in her eyes at the adorable statement, how perfect could this guy get? Without thinking she leapt into Glorfindel and wrapped her arms around him and he laughed again before putting his arms around her.

"Thank-you," she whispered, "Thank-you for everything," she said into his chest.

"Ta nae amin saesa," he murmured back as he rested his head in the top of hers.

"How do you say thank-you in Elvish?" she asked and looked up at the elf with large eyes.

"Le hannon," he whispered and he looked down at her.

"Le hannon," she repeated in a small voice and Glorfindel's heart soared. Charlie yawned and Glorfindel chuckled.

"Perhaps you should sleep now, pen tithen,"He said quietly.

"Yeah, I'm shattered. And oh God I probably look like a mess," she said realising that the dancing had probably messed up her hair and makeup.

"You need not worry, vanimle sila tiri," Glorfindel answered with a cheeky smirk. Charlie did not understand his saying but she blushed nonetheless.

"Goodnight Finny," Charlie yawned and she collapsed back into her bed.

"Goodnight Charlie," Glorfindel chuckled and he left the room, silently closing the door behind him, and taking off down the halls with a large grin upon his face.


	7. Chapter 6

Dany's dreams that night had been confusing. Once she had cleaned her face and crawled under the covers it had taken her a few hours to fall asleep like the previous nights, though this time she did not cry. Her dreams had been filled with her family and friends that were in another world, all laughing and smiling and enjoying themselves, but Dany had not been present in them. The young woman had awoken greatly disturbed by the dreams and had rushed to Charlie's room in just her vest top and a pair of leggings she had borrowed, much to the surprise of Arwen who was wandering the halls.

"Are you alright Lady Dany?" the fair she-elf called after the mortal woman.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," Dany called back whilst wiping tears from her eyes, "I'm just gonna see Charlie." Arwen nodded but was saddened by the woman's despairing state. Before she could open her mouth to speak to her Dany had rushed off down the hallway, not giving her a second glance, and still sniffling. Dany made her way to Charlie's room and violently banged on the door.

"Charlie! Let me in!" she cried, her voice still hoarse.

"Go away…" came Charlie's sleepy and muffled reply.

"It's important Charlie!" Dany shouted and her voice cracked. Charlie knew something was wrong so she swung her legs out of bed and padded over to the door, and when she opened it Dany burst in and practically jumped onto Charlie and wrapped her arms around her. "Oh my God, oh my God…" she whispered and Charlie began to panic.

"Dany? What's wrong?" she whispered as she returned the hug.

"I dreamt of home," Dany murmured and buried her face in her best friend's shoulder. "I just miss it so much, I just want to go back," she breathed out and Charlie sighed.

"I know you do and so do I, but we have to make the best of it," said Charlie and Dany nodded.

"I know that, but I just can't help it…" murmured Dany. The two friends stood in their embrace in silence, listening to the sounds of the birds outside. "Is it just me or has something changed over the past few day?" Dany asked her friend.

"Yeah," answered Charlie, "It's like something is growing on my chest, it feels so heavy…"

"That's exactly what it feels like. Maybe we're just getting acclimatised," Dany reasoned and Charlie nodded.

Glorfindel walked down the corridor and frowned when he saw Charlie's door open, so he quickly made his way to the threshold. "Are you alright Charlie?" he called out and then saw Dany and Charlie hugging in the doorway. Charlie looked up with sad blue eyes, making Glorfindel's heart drop. Dany slowly turned around to face the elf, her eyes still red and puffy and her cheeks still stained with tears. Dany's bottom lip quivered and she suddenly turned around to Charlie and buried her face in her neck again, sobbing.

"Oh Dany, what has got you in such a state?" Glorfindel asked gently. Dany shook her head, but then felt a comforting hand on her back so she slowly twisted away from Charlie to look at the elf who was gazing at her with concerned eyes. "Do you miss your world?" he questioned quietly and Dany slowly nodded. Glorfindel offered her a small smile and gathered her small hands into his and looked in her eyes. "There is no shame in missing your world, Dany," he said softly and Dany felt the tears brim in her eyes again, "But I will do everything I can to help you," Glorfindel promised. Dany cracked a smile at him and Glorfindel grinned back, then the woman threw her arms around him.

"Thank-you Finny," she whispered. Though he was still practically a stranger to her she felt comfortable with him and had complete trust in the elf, which surprised her. All her life Dany had been taught to avoid strangers and to not trust others so easily, but in this strange new world she had a limited number of friends, and there was just something about the elves which set her at ease. Dany pulled away from the elf and wiped the last of the tears from her eyes and grinned.

"You must get changed and continue with your training, you have much to learn," Glorfindel told the girls who agreed. "If everything is fine here I shall meet with you after breakfast," the elf flashed the girls one more comforting smile and left them to themselves.

Dany turned to face her friend and smiled at her. "Thanks Charlie, I'd be insane without you here," she said softly and Charlie grinned.

"You're already insane Dany," Charlie teased and Dany laughed, "But I'm glad you're alright now." Dany gave her friend one last hug before she hurried back to her room, eager to start the day. Glorfindel was right, there was no point in not trying to miss home but she could be more positive about this new world, and she would damn try to find her place, and eventually go back to see her family again.

After Dany left her room Charlie sighed and went to change. She too had a rough night but did not intend to dwell on her dreams of London, instead choosing to put those behind her. Charlie splashed some cold water on her face and she immediately felt more awake after a long night, and she chose a dark green tunic and brown leggings to wear during training. She couldn't wait to go riding again with Glorfindel but she dreaded the sword lessons, perhaps she could persuade the elf to teach her archery instead. The woman left her room to find Dany and wandered the corridors of Lord Elrond's house when she bumped into a little man.

"Pippin? What are you doing up?" Charlie asked the little hobbit.

"I was hungry," Pippin shrugged and Charlie laughed. Though she had only met him yesterday she knew of his and Merry's large appetites (something she and Dany had in common with the Halflings) and found him rather adorable. "Are you going to be training today?" Pippin asked her.

"Yeah, but I'm still achy after yesterday," Charlie replied, "Do you know how to handle a sword?"

Pippin thought about this for a moment before answering. "A little, but we don't need to fight in The Shire," he answered and Charlie understood. The hobbits' love for The Shire was great and from the tales Bilbo and Merry had told her she didn't blame them, and she also sensed that they missed their home just as Charlie and Dany missed London. "I'm going to find Merry and something to eat," said Pippin and Charlie nodded.

"I'll see you around!" the woman called behind her when she began to search for Dany again. Pippin turned around and flashed his goofy smile before he disappeared around the corner. _God, hobbits are so adorable, _Charlie thought to herself and smiled. She came across Dany who was waiting on the walkway, dressed in her check shirt and some brown leggings. "Have you had something to eat?" Charlie asked her friend. Dany nodded and tilted her head towards the small clearing the Elves used for training, a wide smirk on her face. She gestured to two Elves sparring and Charlie recognised one as Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, aka the elf Dany was trying to get with.

"Are you ready for your lessons?" Glorfindel's voice floated down the steps. The elf jogged down the steps to join the two girls and looked to where they were gazing at. "Ah, that is Legolas. I have not seen him for many years," Glorfindel sighed. "Do you wish to start now?" he asked them.

"Yeah. Is Danny Boy joining us?" Dany asked and Glorfindel laughed.

"Nay, he has business to attend to," the elf replied and he began to walk over to the training grounds, calling out Elvish to Legolas and the other elf. "Legolas! Nae saian luume!" Glorfindel shouted and Legolas turned around with a large smile on his face.

"Glorfindel, mae govannen!" he called back and the two Elves reached out to touch each other's shoulders in the traditional greeting. The other Elf introduced himself and the three had a quick conversation before the other Elf quickly sped off to the stables. During this reunion Dany and Charlie been trying to keep up with Glorfindel's fast footsteps, just missing the other Elf as they appeared at Glorfindel's side, breathing heavily.

"I trust you have met both Charlie and Dany," Glorfindel teased slightly and flashbacks of their embarrassing but awesome dancing the night before invaded the girls' minds.

"Yeah, there are a lot of things we regret," Dany muttered pessimistically and Legolas laughed in his musical voice.

"Yes, it's a pleasure," said the Prince and the corner of his lips turned up into a smirk, and Dany swore her ovaries imploded. _Damn is he fine_, Dany thought to herself, and Charlie was thinking the same. "Are you learning to fight?" Legolas asked and both girls nodded.

"I'm terrible," Charlie told him and both Glorfindel and Legolas laughed, though Glorfindel quickly added that she was an excellent rider, which obviously made Charlie blush again.

"And I hate exercise," Dany scoffed. Legolas frowned slightly then began to laugh once more.

"I think it is time we continue with your lessons," said Glorfindel, "Would you be interested in helping, Legolas?"

"Of course," the elf replied. "What weapons are they using?" Dany began to scuff her foot on the ground while she waited for the Elves to stop talking.

"I think it would be best if Charlie continued to use the lightest blade, but Dany can now begin to train with the normal swords," Glorfindel replied and Dany groaned.

"I have absolutely no upper body strength," she moaned and Charlie laughed. "Ugghhhh…"

Legolas shook his head in amusement and walked over to where the weapons were stored, Dany trudging behind him. Dany turned to catch Charlie's eyes and jerked her head to Legolas mouthing 'Mine', making Charlie burst into a fit of giggles.

Four hours later and Dany was starting to get the hang of swinging the slightly heavier blade. She had found that Legolas was practically a samurai warrior so she tried to copy his movements to the best of her abilities, which usually meant she ended up face-first in the dirt. After another failed attempt at copying him Dany was exhausted, though Legolas didn't have a hair out of place, which annoyed her even greater. Said elf was grinning at the mortal sprawled on the ground before him, her face red and sweaty and her breathing shallow and quick. "Stop smiling!" Dany snapped at him and she rolled onto her side. Legolas laughed softly and picked up the blade Dany had tossed carelessly to the floor.

"If you continue rolling on the floor like that you won't get anywhere," said the elf.

"Well sorry for not being a fucking ninja," Dany retorted.

"But you have done well," the Prince said and he held out his hand for Dany to take, "But you still have quite a long way to go." Dany frowned but accepted his hand and was pulled up by strong arms.

"I'm starving, can we go and get some lunch?" the woman groaned, and her stomach rumbled loudly to prove her point.

"You ate but mere hours ago; you must have the appetite of a Hobbit," Legolas teased and Dany smacked his arm playfully.

"I'm serious, I feel like my stomach is gonna eat itself," she moaned. Legolas chuckled and they walked back to the House in silence and into a courtyard. "Ugh," Dany sighed and she collapsed on a bench. Aeva walked past and saw the woman lying on the bench and laughed.

"Was it a tough day training, milady?" she teased, much to the amusement of Legolas.

"Don't you start," Dany muttered and the she-elf laughed.

"Would you like some lunch?"

"Yes please," cried Dany and her stomach grumbled again.

"And for you; Your Highness?" Aeva asked and Legolas winced.

"Yes please, and please just call me Legolas. I care not for titles," he replied and Aeva nodded. The she-elf sped down the halls to fetch some food and Legolas sat down on the bench which Dany wasn't sprawled across. "Are you tired, Dany?" he teased and Dany stuck her middle finger up at him, and he chuckled (though he was slightly shocked at the gesture).

Glorfindel and Charlie appeared in the courtyard with large smiles upon their faces, and they padded over to where Legolas was sitting and sat down after seeing Dany was occupying the other bench. "Had a tough day?" Charlie joked after seeing Dany's limp form. Dany sat up and rubbed her eyes, then saw that Charlie was covered head to toe in mud.

"Tough day working the farm?" the woman retorted and Charlie's face fell. Glorfindel chuckled and tried to rub some dirt off from his left arm. Charlie had greatly improved though she still was not good enough to hold up a proper fight, but Glorfindel hoped that she could at least disarm small goblins. Aeva entered the courtyard with two trays of bread and fruit and frowned at Glorfindel and Charlie.

"I am sorry My Lord, I did not expect you and Lady Charlie to be back so soon," she apologised but Glorfindel waved his hand in dismissal.

"It matters not, we shall go and find lunch now," said the elf and he stood up. "Tula, Charlie," he held out his hand to the woman. Charlie accepted and pulled herself up.

"See ya Dany," she bid Dany who groaned in response. "By the way I left the papers in your room on your bed," Charlie added and she walked away with Glorfindel. Dany groaned again and sat up and stretched dramatically, wincing when her spine cracked.

"Ooo, that did not sound good," she muttered and Legolas chuckled. Dany looked at the plate of fruit and bread and raised her eyebrow. "Fruit and bread? Is that all you Elves ever eat for lunch?"

"Do you not like them?" Legolas enquired.

"Yeah, but don't you get bored eating the same food every day?" Dany asked the elf who shrugged.

"I do not think much of lunch," he sighed and Dany rolled her eyes. She swung her legs over the bench so she was sitting properly, ad she pulled the plate into her lap and began to throw berries up into the air into her mouth. Legolas smiled at her antics then frowned when one missed her mouth and landed on the floor. Dany bent down to pick it up and blew on it, then popped it into her mouth.

"Why did you eat that?" Legolas asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"Three second rule," replied Dany with a full mouth and Legolas shook his head. How very strange this mortal was. "I'm just gonna get something then we can start training again," Dany said after finishing her meal. Legolas nodded in acknowledgement and Dany sped down the corridors back to her own room.

"There they are," Dany sighed and she gathered the papers from her folder back into the purple binder. The two women had reviewed them the night before and agreed to work on them whenever they had the chance to get them finished for when they returned. Dany scooped up the folder and began to hurry down the stone corridors back to the courtyard where Legolas was waiting, her red Converse making small clinking noises as her feet touched the floor. She turned the corner and immediately the weight in her chest which had formed two days ago grew, almost making her stumble into a wall. "What the hell?" she asked aloud. Dany rubbed her chest but began to walk again, but it became almost unbearable when she passed another door. "Jesus Christ," she gasped and her knees buckled. It was pain she had never felt before; it exploded inside her ribcage in stabbing waves of energy which left her breathless and shaking. Dany clutched her chest as her breaths came out in short gasps and another painful stab shook her body, making her cry out in pain, and she took in gulps of air as another shockwave shot through her being. She could not form words because of the unbearable pain inside her chest so her moans of despair were only way to get help, then she collapsed on the floor and curled up into a ball. Soon she could not move so she stayed still, the pain in her chest now steady and tormenting, tears streaming down her red face.

_I am going to die._

_I am going to die._

_I am going to die._

"My dear child!" Gandalf cried and he appeared in front of her, staff in hand. Dany looked at him with scared eyes and gulped again, indicating that she could not speak nor move. Gandalf rushed toward her and helped her up and supported her while he half-walked half-carried her to her room, passing Legolas on the way. "What happened?" the elf asked worriedly and he took Dany from Gandalf and placed her in his arms. Gandalf spat out some Elvish furiously and Legolas gasped, looking down at the shaking mortal in his arms.

"I shall go get Elrond," Gandalf said gravely and with a swish of his old grey robes he was gone. Legolas ran back to Dany's room and placed her carefully on the bed, whispering soothing words in Elvish to her. Regaining some of her senses Dany thought to herself, _I bet an alien is about to explode out of my chest_. Now she was further away from the door the pain began to subside, but she was still panting and sweating like she had ran a marathon.

"Do not worry Dany," Legolas soothed, "Everything is going to be alright,"

Although the pain was too much for her to speak she nodded and tried to slow her breathing. Dany grabbed Legolas' hand and squeezed it tight. _God, it's like I'm about to give birth and Legolas is the waiting father, _she mused, _mmm, imagine getting down with a catch like that_. The wooded door flung open and Elrond and Gandalf rushed in.

"There is not much we can do," Elrond murmured and he placed a damp cloth on Dany's forehead. The wound from her fall still throbbed slightly when she moved and the pain in her chest just made it worse. What was even causing it? It couldn't be a heart attack or stroke so what was so painful in her ribcage? The Elves and Gandalf exchanged glances and she groaned angrily. Weren't they going to tell her what was going on? Her breathing was more even and the pain was slowly disappearing while Gandalf muttered some words she didn't quite catch and Legolas pressed the damp cloth to her head, obviously Gandalf was putting his magic to some use. Dany gazed in awe at the wizard like a child, which was exactly how she felt when his magic was true. After a few minutes the pain had completely disappeared and Dany was just exhausted and relieved. Elrond spoke to Gandalf in the strange language (which quite annoyed Dany, she hated it when she couldn't understand people) but the wizard shook his head.

"What the hell was that?" Dany croaked out when she had the strength to speak.

"Alas, neither me nor Elrond know exactly what that was, but you must stay in your room for the rest of the day, you must rest," Gandalf replied and turned to leave.

"But you do know something about it?" Dany called after him. Legolas smiled at her curiosity but continued to press the cloth to her head. It was cool against her hot skin and Dany loved the feel of it, especially when a hot-ass like Legolas was holding it.

"Aye, but you will know soon what it was," Gandalf replied and left. Elrond firmly told Dany to rest then he too left the room, presumably to talk with Gandalf about what happened in more privacy.

"Thankyou," Dany turned her head and said to Legolas.

"For what?" he asked, but with a small smile on his face.

"I don't have memory loss you know, I know that you carried me here when I couldn't walk," Dany answered and Legolas chuckled. "How did you carry me and run though?"

"Elves have more strength than humans," Legolas replied, "To me you are light as a feather,"

"I'm taking that as a compliment," Dany muttered and the elf smiled again.

"I shall go and fetch Charlie for you," Legolas sighed and stood up, "Rest well Dany," he said and kissed her forehead and then he was gone. Dany was shocked.

"Whoa…" she whispered to herself and allowed herself to giggle.

"Dany! What the hell happened?" Charlie screamed as she thundered into Dany's room, Gorfindel hot on her heels.

"Jesus Christ! No need to yell," Dany snapped then winced as Charlie jumped onto her bed. "Look, when I walked past a random door there was just this really big pain in my chest, like I was being stabbed from the inside," explained Dany.

"Was it a heart attack?" Charlie asked and Dany shook her head. Glorfindel raised his eyebrow in slight amusement; Legolas had told him in Elvish exactly what had happened when the Prince had come to fetch Charlie.

"I think Elrond and Gandalf know but they will only tell me later," Dany sighed in annoyance. "I feel alright now, but there is still that weight in my chest,"

"Same," Charlie murmured and Glorfindel's head snapped up.

"There is pain in your chest?" the elf asked Charlie worriedly, who nodded. "Why did you not tell me of this earlier?" Glorfindel questioned furiously.

"I just thought we were getting used the climate," Charlie shrugged and Glorfindel sighed.

"Well, tell me of these things in the future. I found you so I am your guardian," the elf told them and the girls were slightly surprised. "I am guardian to you both,"

"Thanks," Dany murmured and Glorfindel nodded. Dany sunk back into her soft pillows and sighed. Then the door opened again and Lindir came in.

"Are you well now, Lady Dany?" the dark-haired elf asked her and Dany nodded. Lindir nodded again and whispered something in Elvish to Glorfindel who also nodded.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked and Glorfindel sighed.

"The representatives are to be called to a council," he said, not bothering to fight the stubborn girls. "And before you ask, no, you are not coming,"

"Why can't we go?" whined both Charlie and Dany. They both wanted to attend a meeting which concerned not only talk about their futures, but also something about Dany's unexplained pain.

"It isn't my choice who goes," replied Glorfindel, "And you are not representatives," he added cheekily.

"Fine," snapped Charlie who had folded her arms impatiently long ago.

"We can't not go-" started a frustrated Dany but was interrupted by the other girl pinching her leg. She looked up and Charlie smirked slightly, telling Dany that she had a way around this, and both girls quickly turned so they were looking at both Elves, indicating that they wanted to be left alone. Glorfindel sighed and walked away with Lindir to organise the seating with Lord Elrond. _What a strange pair,_ he thought to himself, as he hadn't really noticed the look that had passed between the girls.

"So this plan…" Charlie started before Dany nudged her and shook her head. The look said 'not until we're out of earshot'. Charlie quickly shut up and both girls waited until they knew Glorfindel could not hear them. "We find a tree, and I'm sure we can nick a piece of rope from somewhere, and we tie ourselves in and we try to eavesdrop," Charlie briefly explained.

"Sounds good," Dany shrugged. Clearly it wasn't the smartest or safest of plans but they were desperate, so they didn't have any other choice really. The two had mutually agreed to not speak about their plan in detail due to the many elves that could overhear them.

The meeting, or what the girls had heard people call the Council of Elrond was called, and they set about their plan. Finding a tree near to where the council was going to gather the two had arrived a few hours beforehand after stealing a random rope found in one of the many weapons cupboards. Securing it at almost the very top of the tall tree as safely as their limited knowledge of knots allowed, they looped it through the thick leather belts which circled their waists over their tunics. Dany and Charlie had both chosen practical clothes more suited to the nature than the dresses and skinny jeans they had worn a few nights before. Practising, Charlie had tipped horizontally, hooking her feet between two fairly thin branches that had naturally hooked themselves in the fork of a thicker and more substantial branch. She carefully balanced herself so that when she swung out she was as close to the council as possible. The council slowly started arriving, and Charlie and Dany positioned themselves, fairly relaxed considering they were being supported by a badly tied rope.

They did not know most that arrived at the council, but did recognise a few from the dinner before, including Aragorn and Gandalf. The weight in both of their chests grew as a dark haired hobbit also arrived, and then the pain became so bad it hurt for them to breathe. The girls decided to keep calm and carry on, after all, this was an important meeting and they wouldn't let some petty chest pains stop them from hearing everything. Glorfindel and Legolas also arrived, to which both Charlie and Dany wiggled their eyebrows at each other, smirking slightly. Lord Elrond took his seat and the others also sat down in the circle of chairs.

He started speaking, but neither girl could hear as there had been a sudden gust of wind and both ropes had tangled up. Glorfindel had heard the muffled screams and saw the panicked girls and raised his eyebrows at them. He made eye contact with a blushing Charlie who was still horizontal despite Dany using her to steady herself, and quietly chuckled to himself.

"Dany seriously if you don't stop wiggling around," Charlie whispered quietly to Dany.

At this Legolas looked up and saw Glorfindel chuckling at something going on in the trees. Following his line of sight he saw Dany and Charlie flailing within the branches, whispering furiously to each other. He was surprised to see Dany up already after her eventful morning, and saw that she was using the other girl who was basically lying down to balance herself. He would've been angry at the disruption of this important meeting and their lack of respect, but instead found himself amused.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor," The two girls heard above the noise they were making and both froze trying to listen for more. They were both deadly serious until Charlie started sniggering and covering her mouth.

"What?" Dany hissed as she wanted to hear what was going on. Charlie's shoulders were shaking, and she shakily pointed into the tree beside them.

"Them, them two birds," Charlie tried to cover her laughter, "They be doing the jiggy," Dany's eyes widened as she saw what Charlie was pointing at, and both broke out into uncontrollable laughter. Tears streamed down their faces and they tried to cover their mouths with their hands to muffle the sound, though fortunately most of the Council were distracted by the important matters at hand. Glorfindel had noticed and overheard what Charlie had said and had started laughing too, trying to control it. Although Legolas was facing away from the tree he could hear their giggling and he smiled, trying to focus on the matters at hand, and eventually blocking them out.

Glorfindel looked up again to see Charlie still lying horizontally with gleaming eyes and shaking shoulders. He hadn't really seen her laugh this much, or appear this happy in the short time he had known her, and she became the only thing he was concentrating on. He was snapped out of his reverie by the fact that a lot of people had stood up, and the three uninvited hobbits' arrival.

"You are to be the Fellowship of the Ring," said Elrond in a statement laced with finality. "Glorfindel, you and the two mortals shall travel with them until Lothlórien where they shall speak to the Lady of Light," he paused as if considering something. "You will not be bound to the ring, nor to protect Frodo."

Glorfindel nodded in understanding and then cleared his throat. "I shall speak with them of the arrangements," the elf began, "I am sure they are curious to know what we've been talking about," Glorfindel's eyes flashed to the side where Dany and Charlie were still laughing but quickly looked back at Lord Elrond. "Should they be told of the One Ring?" the elf asked. Gandalf stepped forward from behind the Hobbits and cleared his throat.

"Yes, but as little of it as possible. Their priority will be to get back to their world, though some are still convinced they play a greater role in this," the wizard spoke. Just then there was a loud snap from outside and piercing scream then a large crashing sound, startling everyone in the council.

"Oh my God! Are you alright Charlie?" A voice shouted.

"Yeah," came a weak reply, "I'm fine," Glorfindel rushed over the balcony to see Charlie lying crumpled on the ground, the broken rope still tied around her waist. The elf vaulted over the barrier and gracefully landed on his feet next to the woman.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah, nothing feels broken," Charlie muttered and she sat up, "It really scared me though!"

"It was not a wise thing to do," Glorfindel scolded but he was smiling. He helped her up and walked her up the stairs to where the Council was being held. Gandalf turned to look at her and smiled.

"Were you really that desperate?" he asked and Charlie laughed. Then her eyes settled on the golden ring sitting on the tree stump. Her eyes widened as everything around her became muffled and a gruff voice began to whisper in her ears in a speech she did not recognise, the words sending shivers down her spine. "Charlie?" Glorfindel asked and it snapped Charlie out of it. "Is everything alright?"

"What? Oh yeah, yeah,"

"INCOMING!" screamed Dany as she swung into Council on her rope, grabbing onto the barrier so she didn't swing back into the tree, much to the amusement of the representatives. Dany untied the rope around her waist, ignoring the pain blossoming in her chest. "What's going… on?" Dany had seen the ring. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was golden and ever so shiny, though that was not the reason why she found it so appealing. It _called _to her. It _begged _for her to take it and place it upon her finger. The ring spoke to her in a beautiful language, telling her to whisk the ring away and to return it to where it came from.

_Valar Morghulis_

_Valar Dohaeris._

It whispered in her mind. Wait, what? Dany shook her head and frowned. "What the fuck is that doing?" she asked, trying not to look at the shining accessory. Gandalf was staring at her, his eyes wide and shocked. "What the fuck is going on?" Dany asked again. Elrond sighed and looked at the old wizard, should she be told?

"They deserve to know," Gandalf sighed and he sat down again. "We shall discuss this matter in the courtyard, I'm sure the others don't want to hear it all again," Dany and Charlie sighed as they began to follow Gandalf down the stairs, the weight in their chests lightening with each step they took.

After the wizard had explained the story of the One Ring to the mortal women he sighed and leant on his staff, waiting for the girls to react. Charlie spoke first. "Um, that's a very-uh, tragic story," the woman murmured and looked down at her feet. Dany's head tilted up and she gazed at the wizard with wide eyes.

"And we're- we're traveling with it?" she asked in a small voice. Gandalf nodded and averted his eyes from hers.

"I do not tend for us to linger in Lothlórien," he sighed, "It will take us a month and a half to reach Caras Galadhon in the forests." Dany choked.

"A month and a half?" said Charlie quietly and looked at Gandalf who nodded.

"We shall be walking," the wizard added and Dany groaned, "We will depart at the end of the week." Gandalf stood up and smiled at the girls before walking away to find the Hobbit, Frodo. Glorfindel had stood behind the girls with his arms crossed all throughout Gandalf's explanation, frowning when he noticed that the wizard left out a few details. Though it was perhaps for the girls' own good, during the short amount of time the elf had known them they seemed to attract trouble from all over. Dany rubbed her eyes sleepily and groaned again.

"One and half fucking months!" she screamed. Dany leapt up and with groans of frustration she picked up a rock and hurled it over the balcony, screaming as it fell.

"Dany!" Charlie cried and she stood up with tears in her eyes.

"That was hardly necessary," Glorfindel snapped at Dany once he was the hurt in Charlie's eyes.

"I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK!" Dany shouted, "I'M STUCK HERE FOR ONE AND HALF FUCKING MONTHS, MAYBE EVEN FUCKING LONGER!" she screamed. By now the Representatives had heard the noise and gathered at the edge of the courtyard, observing the mortal women.

"Shut up Dany!" Charlie cried, "They're only trying to help!" she wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve.

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! WHY IS EVERYTHING SO FUCKING HARD? I JUST WANT TO FUCKING GO HOME!" Dany screamed and her voice cracked, fresh tears brimming in her eyes, obvious to all. Legolas sighed and his heart ached for the woman who just wanted to go home. It was not as simple as travelling to Lothlórien; they would have to figure out how they had appeared in Middle Earth to be able to go home, something which could take months. Dany screamed again with a hoarse voice and stormed away, wiping her eyes and sniffling, leaving Charlie with a quivering lip and glistening eyes. Charlie made to follow her but Glorfindel caught her arm and gave her a look, as if to say it was not worth it. The representatives left Charlie to her grief as she began to sob into Glorfindel's chest, her crying mixing with the birdsong amongst the trees.

…...

…

Dany and Charlie had not shown up for dinner. Merry and Pippin sat poking their food around their plates whilst Frodo stayed quiet in his seat, feeling slightly guilty about the afternoon's events. Sam was next to him and offered his friend a small smile, but Frodo did not smile back. The table was silent as they ate dinner, not a word being exchanged between the diners, creating a dark and awkward atmosphere. Legolas' appetite was non-existent and he spoke to no-one, not even Aragorn, only staring at the vegetables in front of him. A dwarf then cleared his throat, making all the diners look up at him expectantly.

"Is it a good idea to let the women travel with the Fellowship?" he asked, fiddling with his beard. Legolas' jaw clenched and Gandalf sighed.

"They only wish to go back home. They will not thwart the quest. They are not going to be bound to Frodo or the Ring so they will not interrupt or distract, and Glorfindel will keep them in line," the wizard said gruffly. Once Gandalf had proposed his plan to the Council Glorfindel had been first to volunteer to accompany the women, which was not surprising at all considering the elf knew them best. The dwarf grumbled incoherent words as he stabbed some broccoli with his fork. Legolas heaved a heavy sigh and stood up, thanking Lord Elrond for his meal and went to return to his room.

The Prince passed Dany's room but stopped outside her door. He could not hear crying, but the smell of tears meant that she had been earlier. He hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Dany? Are you in there?" he called. Legolas frowned when there was no answer and he twisted the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked. "Dany?" he wandered into her room then saw her sitting on the balcony, motionless. The elf sighed and he silently walked up to her and sat down beside her, seeing that her eyes were red and puffy. Wordlessly he slid his right hand toward her, and smiled when her slim fingers entwined with his, both silent as they looked up at the navy blue sky.

_Three days later_

Dany's mood had greatly improved the next day, determined to not be such an ass towards others in her final days in Rivendell. She had trained every day and was now a good enough warrior to satisfy Legolas and Glorfindel, and also surprised Elladan with her new skills. Charlie's spirits had also lifted and had a few lessons in archery, which she also found she was talented at. Dany was as good as archery as she was at riding, a fact Charlie didn't stop teasing her about.

"Lady Dany you need to get up," Legolas and Glorfindel stood outside the girls doors, and had been knocking for about 10 minutes straight.

"No, go away I need my sleep," Dany replied in an irritable voice.

"Lady Dany you need to train," Legolas tried yet again.

"No, I am a free woman!" she replied and buried herself in her covers. Glorfindel tried a different tactic pleading with Charlie instead of Dany but both girls showed no sign of giving up.

"Charlie please let me in!"

"Never!" replied the equally irritable girl, who had woken up to continuous knocking.

"Fine!" Glorfindel huffed and motioned to Legolas that he had given up. Both elves strode away impatiently, long blonde hair flowing behind them as they left the girls.

A knocking again came on Dany's door, but this one was quieter, more precise and sounded a lot like Aeva's knock.

"Aeva please just I DON'T WANT TO TRAIN!" Dany grew impatient of the elves and their constant requirement for them to practise for leaving for Lothlórien.

"Dany, please it's me, let me in," A tired voice whispered; Charlie. Dany opened the door to a girl with messy light brown hair, an old tank top and leggings with uneven socks half off her feet and wrapped in thick blankets which cocooned her and served as a duvet. Charlie fell through the threshold and staggered over to Dany's bed which she promptly fell on in a heap of limbs. Dany fell backwards, avoiding landing on Charlie and both lay there for a good fifteen minutes before speaking.

"You wanna sneak out?" Dany mischievously said to Charlie who raised herself from the bundle of blankets with bed head and squinting.

"Are _you_ Dany, my best friend, asking _me_ _to go outside_?!" Charlie asked in disbelief.

"Why yes, yes I am," Dany replied, dragging Charlie out of the bed and shoving the blankets off her. Both girls shared a look and smirked, and Charlie rushed back to the door where and extra pair of boots were lying. Both girls laced up their boots and without a second thought to the bedclothes that they wore (a simple tank top with leggings) made their way to the balcony that led off the room that Dany was currently staying in.

"I didn't think this through," Dany muttered upon seeing the drop from the balcony to the ground below.

"Nope you really didn't," confirmed Charlie. "Ah well, let's go for this," she said, stepping up on the balcony rail and gripping the roof. She teetered along the edge before motioning with her head for Dany to join her. Holding on with one hand on the roof and gripping Dany's hand with the other she pulled her friend up on the small ledge. Charlie grabbed a branch from the nearest tree and lifted one leg to put on the trunk of the oak, twisting her arm away from her and she gripped the branch and shuffled ungracefully to the trunk where she began climbing down.

"Come on then slow coach," Charlie teased to Dany who was currently contemplating another way to get down. Realising that there was no other way she sighed and did the same as Charlie, clinging onto the branch when she lifted both feet off the ledge. She too shuffled down the branch and was in the process of climbing down to the earth when she grabbed a branch above her and swung herself onto Charlie's shoulders.

"DANY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Charlie squealed, adjusting her friend on her shoulders so she wouldn't fall off, but at the same time trying to get Dany to rely on the tree for support.

"Well currently you're giving me a shoulder ride," Dany replied cheekily. Sighing slightly but realising she had no choice Charlie grabbed her friend's legs and started walking blindly around the forest, Dany getting hit in the face by branches every five seconds.

"Do you think we can pick up that log stick thing?" Dany suggested and spat out a leaf from her mouth, and pointed over to a long branch lying on the ground.

"We can try," Charlie excitedly ran over to the log with Dany bouncing around on her shoulders and who was clinging on for dear life. Charlie bent down, squatting in a rather unattractive manner as Dany reached out for the log which was a few centimetres from her grasp. Charlie stood up and approached it from a different angle and held onto a low lying branch before raising a foot and rolling the fairly small log up the side of the same tree she used for support. Dany reached out once again and with a few frustrated sighs managed to pick it up.

"I SHALL RULE THE WORLD!" Dany cackled evilly whilst Charlie ran madly around in circles. They heard a manly clearing of the throat and Charlie turned around slowly whilst Dany craned her neck to see the culprit. Hiding the log behind her back Dany faked a smile, as did Charlie. However Charlie's fake smile turned into a real one upon seeing Glorfindel leaning with a shoulder against a tree a few metres away.

"What are you both doing?" Glorfindel asked as he had heard the girlish squeals and the proclamation Dany had made. Both girls looked as well as they could at each other and smiled knowingly as Charlie began charging at Glorfindel who dodged the two.

"NO, YOU MUST ACCEPT ME AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR!" Dany shouted at him whilst waving her arms around with the log in one hand looking as if it could fly out at any moment. The girl tried a different approach and slowly walked towards a fairly scared but amused Glorfindel.

"You have been enlightened," Dany declared whilst swinging her arm and whacking the log partly against Glorfindel's head and also partly against the tree behind him. The elf started laughing, and once he had started he had discovered that it was very difficult to stop.

"Dany that was harsh," Charlie scolded and turned to face Glorfindel. "You must enlighten them like this," She said kissing her fingertips and then hitting Glorfindel around the face. If he hadn't been laughing hard already he certainly was now doubled over and gripping the tree for support. They both noticed the quiet approach of Elladan who had been assessing the situation.

"AHA, someone else who needs enlightening," Dany said slyly as Charlie charged towards Elladan with Dany swinging the log. Glorfindel continued laughing with tears in his eyes and still clinging to the tree. Elladan was still laughing and Charlie could feel herself cracking when a voice interrupted them.

"What in Eru's name is going on?" Legolas questioned upon seeing the two girls running around chasing a now near hysterical Elladan. The two girls again struggled to look at each other and had a silent conversation, eyes darting from each other to the log to Legolas and the other elves. Then suddenly both girls' faces went straight and they turned to Legolas. Dany spread out her arms with the log in one and announced:

"Legolas, have you accepted me as your lord and saviour?" Dany asked without showing any emotion.

"Have I what?" Legolas asked confusedly.

"Have you accepted her?" Charlie confirmed. Legolas stood there frowning and crossing his arms trying to figure out if this was some sort of trick.

"Er, no I don't think so?" Charlie and Dany looked at each other and both fake gasped.

"Well well well, I guess we're just going to have to crack you LegoSASS ," Dany emphasized the play on words she had used for the princes name.

"Ohhhh that was good," Charlie said holding her hand up and Dany tried to hit it. Unfortunately she was too enthusiastic and sent both girls forward with the momentum and nearly crashed into him.

"WE SHALL ENLIGHTEN YOU!" Charlie announced as Dany again swung the log which she was somehow still holding.

"YOU HAVE BEEN ENLIGHTENED!" Dany screamed whilst she fell forward into Legolas as Charlie fell back on the floor collapsed in laughter. Upon seeing her friend in hysterics she also collapsed which in turn set off Glorfindel and Elladan. Seeing the four in hysterics and everyone clutching their stomachs Legolas too started laughing and found that, like Glorfindel, once he started he couldn't stop.

"We depart Rivendell in an hour," Legolas said through laughs, "Have you packed?" Dany slowly picked herself out of the grass and nodded. Her heart grew heavier at the thought of leaving the beautiful city; having only spent almost two weeks here she was sad to leave. Dany also knew she had been a total ass to everyone during her stay and intended to apologise to Elrond before she left. Charlie was also sad to leave Rivendell, though she knew that Lothlórien held the answers she and Dany were looking for.

The five left the forest and made their way back to the house for last minute checks, saying their goodbyes as they entered their rooms. Dany and Charlie had packed all the items they had brought with them because they weren't heavy, but also an extra pair of leggings and a tunic each, some oils and a bedroll and a thin blanket. Elladan had given Dany a light but powerful sword to use, though she had yet to decide on a name. Charlie was given a small bow and a quiver of arrows to defend herself with after showing that sword fighting was not her forte. After looking around their rooms one last time (and after Charlie had said her goodbye to Asfaloth) the two girls went to meet the Fellowship and Glorfindel outside near the gates of the city, tears beginning to brim in their eyes again. Lord Elrond, Arwen, Lindir, Elladan, Elrohir, Aeva and Issa were waiting with the Fellowship, bundles of materials in their hands. "Thank-you for everything," Dany whispered to Aeva, Arwen, Elladan, Lindir and Elrohir as she hugged them in turn, "Sorry I was a complete ass," she added and the Elves chuckled. She also hugged Lord Elrond and was surprised when Aeva clasped a light but warm cloak around her.

"It was nice to meet you Dany, hopefully we shall meet again soon," Elladan and Lindir smiled as she pulled them in for more hugs. She embraced Aeva once more before she went to stand beside Legolas, who she knew was eager to leave and begin the quest. Charlie also bid her teary goodbyes to the Elves and Issa before she too stood beside Glorfindel, wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her jacket then bundling the cloak into her bag.

"Aa' menealle nauva calen ar' malta," Lord Elrond told them in Elvish.

"I'm guessing that means good luck and don't die," Dany muttered and everyone chuckled. Gandalf led the way as they walked through the gates and away from Rivendell, and with one last glance at the valley Dany and Charlie's adventure finally begun.


	8. Chapter 7

The group walked in silence whilst they went across the bridge, only the pattering sounds of their footsteps echoed across the stone. Dany sighed and squinted at the sun, holding her hand above her forehead to block out some of the light. _Damn, _she thought, _wish I brought some sunglasses or a hat_. Dany looked up at Legolas who was walking next to her. They were both at the back of the group with Sam whilst Glorfindel, Charlie, Merry and Pippin were in the middle, and Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, Frodo and Gandalf were at the front. The Ring's effects on her were not as bad as they had been earlier in the week but it was best if she stayed near the back, as far away from possible from Frodo. "It's nothing personal," she had told the Hobbit, "But it is quite painful standing near you," Frodo understood her reasons, and anyway he was more comfortable if she was at the back too. Dany sighed for the umpteenth time and kicked a stone with her shoe, scuffing the already tatty Converse.

"Are you bored already Dany?" Legolas asked her without averting his gaze from the surrounding area.

"A little," she replied and Legolas chuckled. "What?"

"We have quite a long journey ahead of us," the elf answered and Dany snorted.

"No kidding," she scoffed, making the elf laugh again. "Why are you here anyway?"

Legolas smiled at her blunt comment, but he answered nonetheless. "I represent the race of Elves in the Fellowship," he replied. Dany nodded, knowing that though Glorfindel was an elf he wasn't actually in the Fellowship. "Besides," Legolas continued, "Certain clumsy women might need protecting," he teased and Dany groaned again.

"I'm not _that _clumsy," she defended herself and Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so maybe I am a little clumsy…"

"You have no perception of danger," Legolas pointed out.

"Sure I do. I know not to trust strangers, not to jump off cliffs and not to run with scissors," Dany replied sarcastically.

"You climbed out of a window just so you didn't have to train," he countered with a smile and Dany groaned again. Legolas shook his head in amusement and looked forward again.

"Charlie? Do you see them?" Glorfindel pointed to two butterflies gliding through the air, their wings decorated with blue, purple and pink in a way Charlie had never seen before.

"Yeah," she whispered, "They're beautiful. And before you ask yes we do have butterflies on Earth." Glorfindel laughed. Charlie's heart was still heavy when they walked away from the safe haven of Rivendell, towards a danger that she didn't know the power of.

"Are you worried Charlie?" the elf asked curiously, a frown on his fair face.

"It's just a trek through forests with an evil Ring and Nine crazy ghost-men-thingies after us. What could possibly go wrong?" Charlie laughed nervously, though Glorfindel's frown deepened.

"You have nothing to worry about. Allow the Fellowship and myself to worry about your safety," the elf reassured her, "But don't take that as invitation to throw yourself off a cliff or anything like that," he added and Charlie laughed.

"Do you really think that of me?" the mortal asked him.

"Even though I have known you for less than a fortnight, it would not surprise me," he shrugged and Charlie hit his shoulder.

Aragorn stayed close to Frodo when Rivendell disappeared from Legolas' sight, which really brought the nature of the quest home to them. Was this really a good idea? The dwarf, Gimli, had been mostly silent throughout the walk, only speaking when he was complaining about the sun or that two Elves were accompanying them. "Travelling with Elves," he had grumbled in his Scottish lilt, "My ancestors would be turning in their graves!"

"You have no reason to distrust them," Aragorn said exasperatingly.

"I have many reasons to distrust them!" Gimli replied and his furry red eyebrows shot up his forehead. Of course Legolas and Glorfindel could hear him but they said nothing of it, obviously it would just spark a long argument and they really didn't need that.

The group continued their walk in silence, even Merry and Pippin's conversation about breakfast foods had died down after half an hour. Dany and Charlie were already exhausted from walking for four hours; they were really not used to long-distance walks. "Ugh, wish we had a car," Dany groaned.

"Or a helicopter," Charlie added softly and almost tripped over a tree root.

"A helicopter?" Glorfindel asked for clarification.

"Uh, it's like a car but it flies. The propeller, which are basically blades, spin really fast above it so it can fly," Charlie tried to explain, obviously there was a lot more to it but she really could not be bothered to explain physics to them.

"Fascinating," said Pippin, "Do you use them a lot?"

"No," Dany replied to the Hobbit, "We use cars, trains, planes and boats,"

"You have boats?" Merry asked and Dany laughed.

"Of course we have boats, about 70% of the Earth is water," said Dany, "Cars didn't suddenly pop out of the ground, we had to start somewhere,"

"Your world sounds very advanced," remarked Boromir, "Have you ever fought before?"

Charlie hesitated. "No, we had some karate lessons when we were younger but we've never had the need to,"

"Then it would be best if you lie low if we ever come across trouble," the Gondorian sighed and adjusted his pack.

"Was planning to," Charlie answered, "If one of these orc things comes towards me with a sword I'm legging it,"

"Same. I ain't planning on getting disembowelled," Dany called from the back.

"You won't be disembowelled Dany," Legolas said next to her.

"Never know what could happen,"

"You know how to handle a sword, I would be more worried for Charlie's safety," Glorfindel turned around and told her.

"Can we have a break soon?" Pippin whined and Gandalf laughed.

"We have been walking for a mere four hours, young Hobbit," the wizard sighed.

"And I'm hungry now!"

"Same,"

"Me too,"

"I feel like my stomach is gonna shrivel up and die,"

"I highly doubt that Dany," Legolas said to the mortal. Dany rolled her eyes and her stomach rumbled loudly, bringing a smile to the Elf's face.

"Perhaps we should rest and eat some lunch," Gandalf sighed in defeat. Pippin and Merry cried out in happiness and ran over to a tree stump and sat down, eagerly beckoning Sam over to start eating.

"Thank the Lord!" Dany cried and she practically collapsed at Legolas' feet. The elf chuckled and went to stand by a tree to keep watch. Charlie also collapsed and kissed the ground dramatically, raising her head to the sky and shaking her fists.

"Thank you!"

Glorfindel shook his head and sat down on the grass, knowing that Legolas was keeping watch. Dany pulled off her shoes and started to rub her aching feet, almost moaning when it eased her joints. Charlie did the same then lay on her back with her hands behind her head, content with herself, and then began to hum Panic! At the Disco.

"What is that tune you are singing?" Glorfindel asked her.

"It's a song by one of my favourite bands," Charlie replied, "I like to think it's happy,"

"Would you sing it for me?"

"If you don't mind my terrible voice," Charlie joked.

"Nay, I do not mind," the elf teased and Charlie laughed.

"Dany, will you sing with me?"

"Sing what?"

"Nine in the Afternoon,"

"Why do you want me to sing it?" Dany asked with one eye open.

"Glorfindel wants to hear it." By now the whole camp had their attention on the two girls, though they dared not show it.

"Have you apologised in advance for our singing?" asked Dany and Charlie nodded. "Ok, but there's an instrumental, wait…" Dany and Charlie both lay on their backs again to look at the cloudless blue sky, smiling when a flock of birds flew over them. "Back to the street where we began, feeling as good as lovers can you know…" the girls began in small voices. Legolas smiled at the song, Elven music generally told of stories and was mainly from a third person perspective.

"Picking up things we shouldn't read, looks like the end of history as we know, it's just the end of the world. Back to the street where we began, feeling as good as love, you could, you can

"Into a place where thoughts can bloom, into a room where it's nine in the afternoon. And we know that it could be, and we know that it should, and you know that you feel it too

"'Cause it's nine in the afternoon, and your eyes are the size of the moon, you could 'cause you can so you do, we're feeling so good just the way that we do. When-"

Frodo walked past the girls with an apple in his hand and unbearable pain shot through Dany again, rendering her breathless and gasping. "Dany! Are you alright?" Charlie asked worriedly and sat bolt upright, putting her arms around Dany to try and calm her.

"Yeah," Dany gasped, and when she opened her eyes (which she didn't know she had closed) Glorfindel and Legolas were crouched beside her, worry etched across their faces. Frodo, sensing it was the ring that had caused her pain, looked down at his feet guiltily.

"Sorry Dany," the Hobbit apologised, "I was not thinking,"

"No worries," Dany waved it off. "Not your fault," her heart was still hammering in her chest and was beating quickly, and the adrenalin coursing through her veins like poison made her head spin. Legolas bundled up his cloak and placed it beneath Dany's head for her to rest on. Dany thanked him and lay back down, closing her eyes and clutching her chest, trying to steady her breaths. Gandalf took his pipe out of his mouth and squinted at the mortal. Why was it affecting Dany a lot more than Charlie?

Boromir also looked uncomfortable, the Ring was affecting him badly too. If only they would come to their senses and let Gondor use it as a weapon-

"Boromir? Are you alright?" Aragorn asked the soldier.

"Hm? Yes, I'm fine," Boromir replied. The Ranger raised an eyebrow but did not enquire further.

"Are you alright now Dany?" he asked the woman on the floor.

"Yeah, just need a few minutes," she answered rather breathlessly. Legolas, Glorfindel and Charlie were still concerned and decided to sit as close to Dany as possible. Glorfindel asked Charlie if she was alright and she nodded.

"I don't know why, but it seems to affect Dany more than me," Charlie murmured and started to play with the hem of her leather jacket. The two Elves looked at each other then back at Dany, who still had her eyes snapped shut.

"We cannot linger, we must make some more progress before nightfall," said Gandalf.

"Let her have five more minutes, can you not see she is in pain?" Glorfindel snapped at the wizard.

"No, he's right. I can walk. I'm fine," Dany spoke up. "Just let me have something to eat and I'll be as good as new,"

Legolas handed her an apple which she eagerly accepted. It was green and crunchy and she was slightly less hungry after eating, yet she still yearned for a burger or pizza. Gandalf and Aragorn got everyone up and they continued on their way, as silent as before.

It was late evening when Gandalf allowed them to set up camp. Everyone rolled out their bedrolls around a small fire, while Dany made sure that she was far away from the Ring around Frodo's neck. Unfortunately this meant that she was not near the fire and was on the outskirts, and she felt quite isolated. Charlie was about to roll out her bedroll next to hers when Dany stopped her. "Don't," she said and held up her hand, "You'll get cold. Go closer to the fire,"

"But-"

"There's no point in both of us freezing. I'll be fine," Charlie looked at Dany sadly then nodded and moved her roll closer to the fire and closer to Frodo. Dany sighed and placed her bag under her head. Legolas looked up from the tree he was leaning against and felt his heart ache for the poor woman. Dany lay down and looked up the darkening sky, already seeing the moon and stars appear. She jumped when Legolas appeared beside her and placed his bedroll next to hers.

"Aren't you gonna get cold?" Dany asked him and Legolas smiled.

"Nay, Elves do not get cold easily," he replied and lay down. Dany smiled at his kind gesture and turned to look at the sky again, fascinated with the gradient sunset. The smell of bacon and eggs filled the air and Dany felt her mouth watering, even though she hated eggs and wasn't too fond of bacon.

"Mmm, something smells good," she murmured and closed her eyes. Legolas chuckled and also looked to the sky. Dany only ate bacon (she hated eggs) and some lembas bread Legolas had brought with him. Both her and Charlie weren't used to the small portions of food and so Dany was absolutely knackered and starved, yawning every two minutes to prove it. Legolas had barely eaten anything, save for some berries and a corner of lembas, which was something Dany envied greatly. By now the sky was almost black and the temperature had dropped considerably.

Dany shivered and pulled the thin blanket around herself to warm up, and considered sleeping closer to the fire but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep with any more pain in her chest. "Are you cold?" Legolas asked her and she shook her head.

"I'm f-fine," she lied but her teeth were chattering. Legolas unclasped his cloak and handed it to her. "I c-can't take your c-cloak," Dany tried to push his hand away but he wouldn't give.

"I insist," the Elf pushed the cloak nearer to Dany, who finally accepted.

She wrapped the thick cloak around herself, immediately feeling warmer. "Thanks." Legolas smiled and rolled onto his back again. "The stars are so bright here," Dany whispered in awe, looking up at the ink-black sky that was dotted with thousands upon thousands of bright gem-like stars.

"Are they different in your world?"

"The lights in our cities block out most of them. It's only when you're in the countryside you can really see them," Dany whispered back. "It reminds me of when me, Charlie and a few other friends were camping in the Nevada desert. There were only the sounds of the fire crackling and the gentle breeze, and there were so many stars we could actually pick out constellations. It was breathtaking,"

"It sounds beautiful," Legolas murmured.

"It was. I love living in a city like London but I sometimes forget simpler things. We travelled to Burma last year and it was so green and peaceful, I almost forgot that nature was so amazing," Dany whispered. "What is your home like?"

"My home was once a very beautiful forest. It was called Greenwood, though the darkness from Mordor and Dol Guldur infected it. It is sick now," Legolas sighed.

"I'm sorry," Dany murmured, "But at least it was someone else who fucked it up and not yourselves," she added. Gimli had begun to snore very loudly which interrupted the serenity of the camp, and which also irritated everyone who was trying to fall asleep. "I miss home," Dany told the Elf. Legolas turned his head to look at her. "I mean, I've been away before but… this time… it's different." Legolas nodded in understanding.

"You are in a strange new world," he sighed, "But you will hopefully get answers once you get to Lothlórien,"

Dany nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes which were threatening to fall. The snores of Pippin and Merry joined Gimli's, though the rest of the Fellowship was yet to fall asleep. Dany could hear Glorfindel and Charlie speaking in hushed whispers closer to the fire, and though she strained her ears she couldn't make out anything they were saying.

"It's been a while since I slept outside," Charlie whispered to the elf, who cocked an eyebrow in response.

"Is it not to your liking?"

Charlie shrugged. "I feel safer inside. And it's cold out here anyway,"

Glorfindel chuckled. "As an Elf I am comfortable outside,"

"At least one of us is," grumbled Charlie, "It's gonna be like this for the next month," Charlie then realised how long she would be away from home. The whole situation was mind-boggling, how exactly did they end up in another world?

"Charlie?" Glorfindel snapped her out of her thoughts, "Is something bothering you?"

Charlie sighed. "Just… how did we even get here? I mean, scientists have been trying to find out if you can teleport but this is all crazy. It hurts my brain," Glorfindel chuckled again and rolled onto his side.

"Is that really what you're wondering about? How you got here? Should you be more worried about how you are going to get back?" he asked her.

"If we know how we got here maybe it would tell us how to get back," Charlie replied. Glorfindel nodded and rolled onto his back again. Charlie thought of her parents and how worried they would be. Would they think she just dropped off the grid and moved to another country? Or would they think she was kidnapped or missing? Charlie felt her heart ache again and the tears begin to form in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She looked to her side and saw that Glorfindel was looking at her, and when they caught each other's eye he offered her a small smile and she smiled back, turning back to look at the sky and she closed her tired eyes.

"Legolas?"

"Yes Dany?"

"Le hannon," Dany whispered. Legolas turned toward her, surprised. Dany's face immediately reddened and she turned away from him. "Charlie said it was thank-you in Sindarin, did I pronounce it wrong or-"

"Nay, but why are you thanking me?" Legolas interrupted her.

"Well, the other night when I flipped out you comforted me," Dany replied sheepishly. "It- it meant a lot,"

"You are welcome, Dany," Legolas whispered softly. "The Ring was, and is, giving you more grief than the rest of us, save for Frodo,"

"But I'm not sure if that was the Ring or me," Dany said loudly, "I-I…" she trailed off. "I just don't know anything anymore, and I don't like it."

"You cannot know everything. Perhaps it is best if you don't," Legolas sighed. A full moon was in the sky that night, illuminating Legolas' features and casting a dull glow across Dany. Legolas smiled at her and reached out towards her hand, clasping it in his and threading their fingers together. Dany looked at him surprised, then she too smiled at him and squeezed his hand, and closed her eyes.

Dany awoke to a particularly loud snore in the camp. She looked to the side and saw that Legolas was not there, and that another blanket had been placed over her. Confused, she sat up and looked around the camp. Legolas was standing with his arms crossed near the trees, eyes searching the undergrowth whilst he walked in circles around the camp. "Why aren't you asleep?" he asked Dany quietly without taking his eyes off the trees.

"Gimli," Dany grumbled, just as another loud snore erupted from the sleeping dwarf. Legolas chuckled and turned around.

"You should get some more sleep; the sun will rise in an hour," he spoke softly. Dany nodded and wrapped the extra blanket around her tighter and rolled onto her side, closing her eyes again.

After a quick breakfast of an apple and some bread the Fellowship and the two women and Glorfindel were walking again. After spending two hours walking in silence Dany sighed. "Is something wrong?" Legolas asked beside her. Dany shook her head and continued walking again. Legolas frowned at her ignorance of him, although he reasoned that she didn't get much sleep the night before, which left her in a slightly irritable mood. The two were at the back again, slightly behind the rest of the group due to Dany's intolerance of the Ring and her collapse the day before.

Legolas and Glorfindel were taking no chances with Dany so she was walking a good ten metres behind Frodo and Gandalf. There was only a slight weight in her chest now so it was an improvement on the day before, though she was slightly annoyed that she had to walk so far behind the rest of the group. But she was grateful that Legolas was staying next to her and didn't leave her alone, so she didn't have much to complain about, save for the constant ache in her feet and legs.

She really wasn't used to this type of exercise and Charlie wasn't either. Dany was physically and emotionally exhausted, and the weight in her chest wasn't just from the Ring. She stepped forward and another stab of pain shot through her chest, constricting her ribcage and leaving her breathless, making her double over clutching herself. "Dany!" Legolas cried and he rushed forward, taking her in his arms and pulling her up. Frodo and Gandalf had stopped and Dany had wandered into the proximity of the Ring (it turned out that Frodo had tripped over).

"I'm fine," Dany said through gritted teeth, it had come as quickly as it had appeared. "Honestly."

Legolas nodded hesitantly and they continued on their way.

"We will be in the forest for a few more hours then we will be across empty land," Gandalf called from the front. Dany inwardly shivered. Though she didn't particularly like the forest (the bugs and the dirt didn't make it very comfortable) empty land would leave them mostly exposed to both the elements and their enemies.

_Enemies_.

Dany felt a shiver run down her spine which made her trip over a tree root and land on all fours in the dirt. "Ugh," she groaned and picked herself off the floor. "Could this day get any better?"

Legolas smiled when Dany proceeded to wipe her dirty hands on Charlie's leather jacket.

"Oi! Don't get that anywhere near me," Charlie slapped Dany's hands away. Dany slunk to the back again and began to sulk. Wasn't anybody going to talk to her? She was bored out of her mind. Her family had never been into camping or hikes, instead choosing to go abroad where there were nice hotels and beaches, so this whole 'outside' thing was alien.

The last hike she had been on was when she went to Burma during the Easter holidays, where they had stayed in the rainforest for two nights but spent the rest of their holiday in hotels, and that had been gruelling enough. Dany was not prepared for spending a whole month and a half in the pouring rain and sleeping on the floor. She sighed in annoyance and kicked a stone with her shoe.

"What's on your mind Dany?" the soft voice of Legolas asked her.

"Nothing,"

"Are you already tired of walking?" the elf teased and Dany glared at him.

"As a matter of fact, yes I am," she snapped and Legolas laughed at her, obviously her mood was amusing him. "How can you stand just _walking_ every day?"

"Why, do you use your 'car' every day?" the elf asked with a raised brow. Dany had fallen behind during her reverie and Legolas had slowed too, which meant the rest of the group were a fair distance ahead.

"No," Dany answered, "Me and Charlie can't afford a car. Wouldn't be much use anyway,"

"Why not? From what you have said these cars sound very useful,"

"We live in London; there are already lots of cars. We prefer to take the train," Dany said simply. She swung her backpack in front of her and rummaged through the pockets, finding her purse and opening it. Legolas walked closer towards her and looked curiously at the purse in her hands. Dany took out her Oyster card and handed it to him. "A train is like a car but it doesn't go along the roads on wheels, it's electric and goes across tracks. It is made up of lots of metal carriages. We put money on our Oyster cards electronically and they allow us to go on the train," explained Dany. Legolas held up the plastic card to the sunlight and ran his fingers down the edges and across the even lettering.

"Amazing," he breathed, "What material is this made of?"

"Plastic. Humans blended lots of chemicals and materials together to make it and other things," she replied. Legolas handed her card back to her and she slid it inside her purse.

"May I?" the elf gestured toward it. Dany nodded and gave her purse to him. It had a pattern of multi-coloured stripes across it and had a penguin keychain, and he was fascinated with the zip. Inside there were a few coins, including some of two metals, and there was strange coloured paper inside too.

"That's our Queen," Dany pointed to the face printed on the thin paper. Legolas grinned back at her and looked through her credit and gift cards, happy to see that they were all made of brightly coloured plastic.

"That is quite something," he said with sparkling blue eyes. Dany put her purse back into her bag and zipped it up. The two jogged back to where the rest of the group were walking, and Dany could see Glorfindel and Charlie having a conversation of their own.

"What was that song about?" Glorfindel asked, referring to the one Dany and Charlie had sung earlier. Charlie swung to look at the elf with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"I think it's about getting high," she replied with a smirk.

"High?"

"Yeah, you know when you feel… high," Charlie tried to explain. "It feels like you don't have a care in the world,"

Glorfindel finally understood and nodded, slightly surprised that they had sung about getting high. "What do the songs in your world say?" he asked again.

"Everything," Charlie smirked, "Love, anger, frustration, sadness, heartbreak, lust…" she trailed off.

"Will you sing me another?"

Charlie laughed and shook her head. "There are so many to choose from. But I'll sing another soon, I promise," she sighed. Glorfindel flashed a dazzling smile at her and Charlie quickly turned away, red dusting her cheeks.

Dany dropped her eyes to the ground where she studied the earth and all the plants. The dirt itself was a deep brown and had many twisting roots embedded in itself, and Dany's eyes trailed across them to try and follow where they led. A few leaves were crushed on the ground after being stepped on by the Fellowship and a few rocks were dotted here and there, which were a bit of a hazard to clumsy people like Dany and Charlie.

Suddenly a strong armed grabbed her wrist and she jumped, and looked up to see that she was about to walk into a very large tree. "Oh,"

"You have to look where you're going," said Legolas and he withdrew his arm.

"Will do,"

Legolas chuckled and Dany walked away from the tree, towards the group who were just settling down for lunch.

"We have made good time today," said Gandalf. Pippin already had bread stuffed in his mouth and Merry was lighting his pipe. Charlie looked up to see Dany and Legolas appear in sight and she smiled at them, inching away from Frodo so she could sit with her best friend. "We shall rest for an hour," Gandalf said and puffed out some smoke from his mouth.

Immediately Dany pulled off her shoes and began to massage her toes and heel again. "This is why I hate walking," she moaned. Charlie accepted an apple from Glorfindel and bit into it while searching through her bag.

"Since we have some free time we should look at the papers again," she said to Dany who nodded slowly. Dany unslung her rucksack straps from her shoulders and tossed the bag into Charlie's lap. Charlie took out the papers and her jacket and spread the sheets across the material to prevent them from getting dirty, and bit into her apple again.

"Those look complicated," Legolas remarked and nodded to the equations.

"They are," Dany said to him, "That's been our work for the past four years,"

Glorfindel walked over to where the three were sitting and looked at the sheets of paper. "Is this what a sustainable engineer does?" he asked.

"Yeah. Still working on the equation though. Gotta make sure it works," Charlie replied. She rifled through the papers to find the one she was looking for. "Wow, I forgot how hard this was. My brain's just dead today,"

"Lemme have a look," Dany held out her hand and was given the papers. "Damn you're right, I just can't think of anything,"

Legolas looked at the papers curiously and his eyes widened. "How can you understand any of these symbols?" he gasped.

"It's too complicated to explain now," Dany sighed, "Maybe another day when our brains are working," Legolas nodded and examined the other papers.

"These designs are… amazing," he breathed. "What are they?"

"Quantum field generators," said Dany and she bit into a crunchy red apple. "It transfers molecular energy from one place to another,"

"Pardon?"

"Never mind, it's complicated," she sighed and put her hand behind her head, her apple in the other.

"Do you feel okay today?" Charlie asked her.

"Yeah, feet hurt like hell though," Dany replied cheekily. Legolas raised his eyebrow; he knew that Dany had another episode of pain an hour earlier.

The sweetness of the apple danced across her tongue and was refreshing to her dry mouth, though her stomach ached for some junk food. Charlie practically rolled away to Sam and Frodo. The Ring had an effect on Charlie and it too called to her, but she had no intention on acting on its wishes. It was still hard for the engineers to get their heads around the whole magic concept, and it was still hard to believe that this Sauron guy could control things with his power.

Charlie began to talk with the two Hobbits after she noticed they mainly stayed quiet. "Tell me more about the Shire," she told them and drew her knees to her chin. Merry and Pippin overheard her request and they rushed over to where they were sitting, eager to tell the mortal of their home.

"It's green, really green," Pippin began.

"And colourful flowers are everywhere, especially during the spring when the fields are golden…" Sam sighed in a dream-like state.

"-the birds sing all day-"

"-the Green Dragon has the greatest ale in all of Middle Earth-"

"-everyone, well mostly everyone, is nice and there are hardly any fights-"

"It's safe."

Charlie was astounded. "It sounds beautiful," she breathed out.

"Wait till you see Lothlórien!" called Glorfindel and Aragorn chuckled.

"I sometimes wish we had never left," Pippin murmured.

"I wish we could've said goodbye to everyone," Charlie sighed.

"I miss home. It actually hurts," whispered Dany. Tears began to form in her eyes again when she thought of home.

"It is unfortunate of the circumstances of your appearance," Gandalf sighed. "Though you must not dwell on it, there is still hope,"

"I suppose so," Charlie murmured.

"Come, we must not linger. We will make it to open land before nightfall," Gandalf stood up and brushed dirt off his robes. Legolas pulled Dany up again and they began to walk through the trees again.

The sky was a dark pink when they settle down at the forest's edge for the night. A wide and barren open stretch of land was ahead of them, and in the distance there were many boulders and hills to walk across. Like before, a small fire was roaring and Sam was cooking more bacon and eggs, much to the delight of Merry and Pippin.

Dany was lying on her back on her bedroll, flipping a fifty-pence piece in the air and catching it again. God, she was just itching to get out her phone and scroll through Tumblr. All in all, she was bored, and Charlie was busy talking with Aragorn and Legolas was watching the camp with Glorfindel. She had given her papers to Gimli (after making him promise to not ruin them) and the dwarf was looking through them in awe.

"These… these ideas…" he whispered, "These are like none I've seen before,"

"They're pretty ambitious back home too," Dany murmured. "We're kinda breaking physics,"

"Physics?"

"You know, the laws of the world. Gravity, forces, how molecules interact with one another…"

"What's gravity?" Pippin asked.

"Uh, you know when you drop something it falls?" she asked and he nodded. "Gravity is the force that makes it drop and not float into the sky,"

"Dinner's ready!"

After Charlie had eaten her bacon she lay on her bedroll next to Glorfindel. "Have you been away from Rivendell before?" she asked the elf.

"Aye, many times," he answered and smiled at her, "But those are tales for another time. You must get rest,"

"Yes Mother," Charlie muttered and Glorfindel chuckled. "Goodnight Finny,"

"Goodnight Charlie,"

Frodo went to into the forest to relieve himself so Dany took the opportunity to sit next to Gandalf. "Do you still feel the weight in your chest?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but it's bearable. It's more of a reminder than a pain," she shrugged and looked down at her Converse.

"Is something on your mind?" the wizard questioned her.

"As a matter of fact, yeah, there is," Dany sighed. "What does 'valar morghulis' mean?"

Gandalf froze. A dark thought that had been at the back of his mind for days suddenly came to light and he shivered. "Where did you hear that?"

"Uh, the Ring said it." Dany replied, immediately regretting telling the wizard.

"When?"

"When I first saw it,"

"What else did it say?"

"Um, valar… dohaeris,"

Gandalf sighed and leant on his staff. "It is Vanerian. The Vana Elves did not communicate with the rest of Middle Earth often, so they had their own dialect. I have not heard Vanerian for many years,"

"But what does it mean? And why does the Ring know it?"

"It has a dark meaning," murmured Gandalf. "Are you desperate to know?"

"Yes," Dany replied quickly. "Yes."

"It means 'all men must die'," said Gandalf and Dany's face fell. _It sounded so beautiful_, she thought to herself, _but now it's just depressing. _"And 'valar dohaeris' is a traditional response to it, that means 'all men must serve',"

"Wow. That's depressing,"

The old wizard chuckled. "What context was it used in?" Dany asked.

"Well as you know, Elves are immortal," Gandalf began to explain and Dany spluttered.

"Immortal? They live forever?"

"Indeed,"

"Um…" Dany's eyes flashed to Legolas then back at Gandalf. "Well, continue,"

"Before the Elves of Vana went into battle their leader would call 'valar morghulis', and then the soldiers would reply with 'valar dohaeris',"

"Why?"

"I am not so sure myself," the wizard sighed, "But the Vanerians were secretive,"

"How so?"

Gandalf squinted at Dany; she was such a curious mortal. "They lived in the North, near the old witch realm of Angmar and bordering the Northern Waste. The land there was not as fertile as the south, but they could grow crops. A prospering city started to grow after the rebellion against the Valar. Then the Elves discovered a certain something," the wizard said with a wink.

"And what was that?"

Gandalf puffed out a ring of smoke from his pipe. "Magic."

"Magic? Like your magic?"

"Not exactly. Dragon fire,"

"Dragon fire?"

"The Queen herself, Amarel Tulith, learnt how to harness the power of Dragon fire, much to the displeasure of my Order and the Elder Elves,"

"Why was it wrong?"

"Dragons wreaked havoc across Middle Earth; burning villages, stealing treasure, things like that. Using this dark power was not particularly… morally right," Gandalf replied, "Do you understand?"

Dany nodded. "But how- how did she do it?"

"Alas, I do not know. But she did not keep it to herself; soon every Vanerian elf had dragon fire running through their veins. This enabled them to be quicker, stronger, and braver. It created fine warriors, though it also created lust,"

"Lust?"

"A lust for blood,"

Dany gulped. Was the same dragon fire running through her blood?

"Eventually twenty thousand orcs swarmed the city, and even their dragon fire could not save them," the wizard sighed. "Rest now, I shall tell Charlie of this in the morning,"

Dany nodded, Frodo was already waiting at the opposite side of the camp to sit next to Gandalf again. Dany yawned and stretched then trudged back to her bedroll, laying her head on her bag and pulling her cloak around her. The fire's warmth did not reach her toes, and she desperately tried to extend her legs to try and warm herself up, though it did not work. Gimli's snores rumbled through the camp and she could hear Boromir sigh in annoyance.

Legolas was still patrolling the camp, and when he caught Dany staring he offered her a small smile.

Obviously he heard everything.

Pulling the cloak around her tighter and putting the hood over her head, Dany shivered. Her heart thundered in her chest, and that had nothing to do with the Ring. For the first time in her twenty two years Dany felt genuinely frightened, and let small tears slide down her cheeks whilst she closed her eyes, listening to the quick beating of her scared heart.


	9. Chapter 8

Charlie was awoken by Glorfindel. Her neck hurt when she turned her head and her legs ached, but she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes nonetheless. The Elves were already up and waking the others, including a very moody Gimli and two hungry Hobbits. Sam was about to shake Dany awake when Legolas stopped him.

"Let her sleep a while longer. She had a troubled night," the elf told the Hobbit. Sam nodded and went to pack his bedroll; he was polite enough to not ask questions. Gandalf looked up and squinted at the Elf. Sensing the wizard's gaze, Legolas sighed and turned around. "She did not fall asleep until early morning. She only slept for two hours when she awoke again, and then she did not fall asleep again until an hour later."

Gandalf nodded. "But we must make haste. We do not know who is after us," he said, "We leave after breakfast, which Sam is preparing."

Legolas sighed and crouched down next to Dany. "You must get up now," he said softly, "Dany?"

The young woman stirred under her blanket and groaned. "Five more minutes… I don't wanna get up," she moaned and Legolas chuckled.

"Breakfast is almost ready," the elf told her and she groaned again. "I know you did not sleep well, but we mustn't linger. Gandalf is eager to cover more ground,"

One of Dany's eyes snapped open and she stared at the Elf. "Three hours sleep is enough for me. After years staying up all night finishing essays I'm used to it," she grumbled with a croaky voice, "I'm just so warm under here."

Legolas laughed and Dany smiled, though it was quickly replaced with a look of shock when she slid out from under the blanket. "Jesus, it's freezing!" she quickly withdrew back under the material and Legolas sighed.

"It is not that cold,"

"Yes it is!" Dany pouted, "You just don't feel it!"

Legolas shook his head and turned his head toward Aragorn. "Estel! Is it cold out here?"

Aragorn looked up and smirked, he had heard their whole conversation. "Not particularly," the Ranger replied cheekily and Dany stuck her tongue out at him. Charlie was already up and was handing out apples to all the camp members, which was very surprising to Dany.

"I thought you weren't a morning person," Dany called to her and she laughed.

"Not really, but I might as well help," Charlie replied, and then frowned once she saw the dark circles under her friend's eyes.

"It took ten minutes of me shaking her for her to stir," Glorfindel sighed and raised his eyebrow at Charlie.

"Just ten minutes?" Dany teased and Charlie threw an apple at her head, which she caught and bit into. "At the weekend I usually sleep in until about midday,"

"Midday! Half of the day is gone by then!" Aragorn asked, surprised.

"Well that is the plan,"

Aragorn shook his head and went to help Sam put out the fire and gather all the saucepans. "Another day of walking everywhere, God help me!" Charlie cried and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"And we have another month and a bit!" moaned Dany.

"And we'd better get started," Gandalf added cheekily. Dany and Charlie both groaned and picked themselves off the damp forest floor. "Be grateful it is open land," the wizard sighed and began to lead the group across the land. Dany fell to the back with Legolas again.

"Tic tac?" Charlie offered Dany.

"Yes please,"

She popped the mint into her mouth and sighed when the minty flavour burst across her tongue. "You want one?" Charlie offered Legolas the box.

"What are they?"

"Mints," Charlie replied as she too popped one into her mouth.

Legolas eyed the box suspiciously and Charlie handed him one, which he held up in front of his eyes to inspect.

"They're not gonna hurt you," Dany teased and Legolas rolled his eyes at her. He cautiously put it in his mouth and his eyes widened. "You can suck on them or you can bite them," Dany advised. It was a strange flavour to Legolas, but it was surprisingly refreshing on his tongue. He bit into it and almost choked when the flavour amplified and his eyes started to water.

"Eru!" he gasped as his face started to turn red. "Why did it do that?" Dany and Charlie started to giggle as Legolas started to hit his chest.

"Looks like Elves can't stomach mints," Charlie remarked and she swung round to face forward again, "I'm gonna see what Glorfindel does!" and with that she jogged off to find the unsuspecting Elf. Legolas gulped down some water and coughed again. Dany laughed but karma got her again when she tripped over a rock.

"Damn!" she shouted and rubbed her aching foot. Legolas, who was still slightly red in the face, started to laugh at her and she scowled at him. "I'm in pain! It's not funny!" The Elf's deep, musical laughter only rose in volume and Dany smacked him on the shoulder. Legolas grinned at her then coughed again, making Dany giggle as he reached for his water skin. There was an explosion of coughing up ahead and both of them knew that Glorfindel had just tried a tic tac. Charlie's peals of laughter drifted through the group and Legolas smiled.

"What in Eru was that?" Glorfindel choked out and Charlie smiled at him.

"I told you, it was a tic tac!"

"Is it meant to hurt me?" he asked and he gulped down some water.

"No, you Elves just can't handle it!" Charlie teased and she skipped ahead. Glorfindel shook his head and Boromir turned his head.

"What is going on back here?" the Gondorian asked. The front of the group was silent and calm, including Pippin and Merry, though the back had erupted in noise since they left the camp.

"Charlie is trying to poison us!" Legolas called with a wide grin. Charlie spun around and slapped a hand over her chest.

"As if I would do such a thing!" she gasped mockingly.

"The gig's up Charlie! We gotta get outta here!" she shouted and grabbed Charlie's hand, pulling her away from the group. They both sprinted to the side, laughing, then strong arms locked around Dany's waist and yanked her backwards.

Dany screamed, struggling against Legolas while still laughing, "Run Charlie! And don't ever look back!" she shouted. Legolas was still holding her off the floor, and immediately her heart rate increased when his hot breath tickled her neck. "Let me go!"

"You shouldn't run off, you don't know what's out there," Legolas murmured. Dany only started to kick her legs about in a feeble attempt to break free.

"Fuck you," Dany spat. Legolas laughed whilst he carried her back to the group. "If you're truly my friend you should put me down," said Dany.

"I am truly your friend, which is why I know better," he cheekily replied. Dany craned her neck to look at him, and after seeing the grin on his face she rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm not going to 'poison' you with tic tacs anymore,"

"And?"

"And what?"

"Do you promise to not swear as much? It's unladylike,"

Dany considered this for a moment.

"… no."

"Alright then," said Legolas with a mischievous tone to his voice, then he proceeded to spin Dany around. The world went by in a blur of colours and her legs went numb, as much as she secretly loved being swung around by the Prince it did not bode well with her stomach.

"LEGOLAS! NO! NO! NO! I'M GONNA BE SICK!" she screeched, but Legolas was too busy laughing to slow down. Dany started laughing too, but then felt the nausea settle in her stomach. "Seriously I'm gonna projectile vomit everywhere!" Legolas didn't stop. "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I PROMISE TO NOT POISON YOU AND TO NOT SWEAR AS MUCH! JUST PUT ME DOWN!"

The Elf put her down on the ground again and she stumbled away. "Thanks a lot," she spat as her body swayed.

Legolas' face fell when he realised what he had done. Why on Middle Earth had he picked her up and spun her around? She was a lady and deserved to be treated as such, even though she did swear a lot, and he was embarrassed by his actions. All in all, he was mortified at himself.

"I'm sorry Dany-" he began but was interrupted by the young mortal.

"It was fun and all but now I'm really dizzy!" she cried and stood still to try and get her bearings back. Legolas let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and smiled. At least he hadn't offended her. "We should catch up with the others. I have no idea where the fuck Charlie is," Dany waved her hand in the direction of the group.

"You promised to not swear,"

"I know, but I had my fingers crossed," she said with a wink.

"What has that go to do with anything?"

Dany sighed. "In my world if you cross your fingers while making a promise it doesn't count,"

Though Legolas heard her clearly he was still angry with himself. "Are you okay?" she asked after seeing the distant look on the Elf's face. His gaze settled on her and he smiled.

"Yes and you're right, we should catch up with the others," Legolas replied and flashed a smile at her again, before taking her arm and following the group. Charlie was walking with Glorfindel again (who seemed to have recovered from the tic tac) and wiggled her eyebrow at Dany.

"Why are you so pale?" she asked her friend.

"Pale? Me?" Dany asked sarcastically. Charlie rolled her eyes and turned her head back to the front.

"Is it lunch yet?" Pippin asked hopefully. Gandalf turned to face the Hobbit and sighed.

"I suppose we can rest for an hour," he murmured and Pippin grinned. Dany's feet hurt like hell and she was starting to get cramps in them, and her muscles in her legs and lower back ached.

"Je-sus," she moaned as she collapsed onto the floor. Frodo was careful to avoid her and he went to sit beside Aragorn. Charlie tossed another apple to Dany and she groaned; she was growing sick of the fruit. "More apples?"

Boromir, who had been cleaning his sword of non-existent dirt, chuckled. "Did you expect fine dining?" he teased.

"No. But I didn't expect eating apples and bread all day," Dany replied with a smirk, "God, would I kill for some pizza right now," she sighed and Charlie groaned.

"Mmm, pizza," Charlie sighed and she bit into a red apple, "I would sell my firstborn for some pizza right now,"

Glorfindel and Legolas looked up at Charlie in horror, though the others only laughed at her statement.

"What is pizza?" Merry asked, if it was food he wanted to know the details.

"It's Italian and it has a dense bread base, and then it has a tomato sauce and cheese melted over it," Charlie said lovingly and she closed her eyes. Glorfindel frowned slightly, this 'pizza' did not sound like fine dining at all.

"There's nothing like hearing the sound of the doorbell and knowing that it's the pizza guy," said Dany. She bit into her apple again, pretending it was a slice of pizza, but it didn't work. Dany quickly finished her apple (core and all) and stood up. "Damn, I need to take a piss," she said whilst she stretched. Glorfindel spluttered at her blunt statement but nodded his head.

"Keep your sword with you," he advised.

"Yeah yeah…" Dany waved her hand and trudged to behind a boulder where she unzipped her trousers. "Guys are so lucky, they don't need to take all of their bottom layers off," she muttered. "Ah shit!" she had forgotten her bag and had no tissues. "CHARLIE!" Dany screamed, "CHARLIE!"

Suddenly Legolas appeared before her, bow drawn and arrow notched.

"JESUS LEGOLAS!" she shouted and tried to cover herself. Legolas, after seeing that nobody was attacking her, reddened and turned his head.

"I apologise Dany, I thought you were being attacked,"

"It's alright; I've been in a lot more embarrassing situations. Could you please go get my bag?" Legolas nodded and went to find it, the tips of his ears still pink. Aragorn looked up at his friend and chuckled. He was certainly causing a bit of trouble today. Legolas picked up the bag and saw Dany's outstretched arm from behind the boulder and placed the bag in her hand.

"Thanks," she said from behind the rock. Legolas awkwardly wandered back to camp with his hands clasped behind his back, thinking to himself. Glorfindel raised his eyebrow at him whilst Charlie giggled; the look on his face was obviously one of embarrassment. What had gotten into him today?

Dany appeared from behind the rock and strode up to the group with a wide grin on her face.

"I'm guessing you didn't need your sword," Charlie remarked and she nodded to the blade at Dany's side.

"Nah, somebody else already had that covered," she replied and winked at Legolas, whose ears turned red again. _Good, _Dany thought to herself, _serves him right for spinning me around._

The group set off again across the open land, in a somewhat awkward silence. Legolas was still embarrassed and did not speak to Dany or anyone else for that matter, and instead focused on scanning their surroundings. Usually Dany didn't mind silence, but when it was one that made you cringe at the awkwardness neither woman liked it.

Charlie sighed and kicked a stone with her shoe. When nobody talked it was mind-numbingly boring. Her thoughts wandered back to her family and friends at home, whom she missed dearly. Her stomach grumbled and her body ached for sugar, which reminded her of all the times her mum used to bake cakes when she was upset.

She loved baking with her mother, and from a young age she had always been the one to lick the bowl and spoon the mixture into the cases. Her favourite cake had always been the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes they would always make for birthdays and parties, Charlie's heart ached to be reunited with her family to make more memories. Her chest felt heavier than usual and her footsteps were sloppier as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Charlie?" Glorfindel's soft voice brought her out of her reverie.

"Hm?"

"You promised you would sing again," the elf said with a small smile. His blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight and Charlie sighed again. She had forgotten about that promise.

"I'm not really in the mood Finny," she replied and the corner of her lips lifted into a weak smile. Glorfindel nodded and looked at his shoes.

"What troubles you so?" he asked and brought his head back up, his golden locks cascading over one shoulder. Charlie shrugged and looked away, she didn't want to bring Glorfindel's mood down just because she missed home. But the Elf already sensed her heartache and wanted to know what had made her sad.

Just looking at his blue eyes made Charlie give in. "Just missing home."

Glorfindel sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her to his side, and Charlie's head nestled against his chest whilst her arms encircled his waist. "It's funny," Charlie murmured against him.

"What's funny?"

"I've only know you for a week and a half, but I feel like I've know you much longer,"

Her arms tightened around Glorfindel's waist and the elf sighed in contentment. "How so?" he breathed out.

"I just feel so safe around you," she replied and tilted her head to look up at him, to which Glorfindel looked down into her blue eyes and smiled.

"Looks like some are getting all lovey-dovey up there," Dany remarked to Legolas. The Elf didn't reply and kept looking at the surrounding hills, and Dany huffed in annoyance. "Why aren't you talking to me?"

Legolas snapped his head to the side to look at her, confused. "I thought you would not want to speak to me," he said slowly and Dany frowned.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought I offended you-"

Dany laughed and Legolas' brow creased, this mortal truly was strange. "Look, I don't care. It's kind of flattering actually,"

"Flattering?" now Legolas was really confused.

"Yeah. You thought I was being attacked and you came to protect me. But with your super Elf abilities I thought you would have heard something other than my screaming, so part of me thinks you did that on purpose," Dany said with a smirk.

Legolas looked at her with wide eyes. "Why in Eru's name would I do that?" the elf asked her as red started to creep up his neck. Dany only laughed and hit his shoulder playfully.

"Don't worry, I'm only teasing you," she flashed a smile at him and Legolas shook his head in amusement, "You're making a mountain out of a mole hill."

"Pardon?"

"... never mind," Dany rolled her eyes and Legolas chuckled.

"Most females would be horrified to be caught by a male in a state of undress," the Elf remarked as they trudged across the grass.

"Well, I'm not 'most females'. If you didn't see anything I don't give a shit," she answered and looked at him. "You didn't see anything, did you?"

"Nay," Legolas replied with a small quirk of the lips. "But why do you not care?"

"There are greater things in life to worry about, for example this evil magical Sally guy who thinks he can control Middle Earth," she answered and Legolas laughed out loud. "What?"

"It is Sauron, but you are right, it is a small matter that does not need fretting over," said the Elf.

"I like Sally better," she mumbled. "And anyway, we're friends so it shouldn't matter."

"Of course," Legolas said with a cool tone, but inside his heart soared. Elves were not known to encounter mortals (something his father heavily enforced) and friendships between the two races were far and in between, save for Estel.

"But we haven't talked about you spinning me around," Dany interrupted his thoughts. Legolas frowned.

"I shouldn't have behaved like-" Legolas begun but then Dany started clapping slowly while shaking her head. "What are you doing?"

"Well played my friend," she spoke slowly while still clapping, "Well played."

The corner of Legolas' mouth uplifted into a small smile, Dany was very odd. "Too bad I outsmarted you anyway," she added.

"How so? I hardly believe that it counts as outsmarting someone when they had no idea about customs from another realm," the Elf countered.

"Ah, but that's exactly what outsmarting someone is,"

Legolas shook his head in amusement. Dany grinned at him then looked at her surroundings.

"Where the fuck are we?"

The group came across a rocky ridge which they had to cross over to continue on their way. The front of the group had already crossed it when Glorfindel, Charlie, Dany and Legolas found it. Dany peered over the edge. It was a good three metre drop; she wandered how Gandalf and Bill the pony had gone over it. Legolas smirked at her before he gracefully jumped and landed on his feet on the other side. Glorfindel did the same and the two women gazed at them in awe.

"Jesus Christ, you're like cats," Dany remarked and the two Elves laughed. Glorfindel extended his arm for Charlie to take and she grasped his hand and jumped, landing on the other side with a soft thump. Dany looked expectantly at Legolas whilst the other two continued to walk in the direction of the group. "Well?" she asked and quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Well what?" he teased with a smirk. Dany rolled her eyes and sat down and swung her legs over the edge, twisted her body and lowered herself slightly, her feet scrambling for the rocks. "What are you doing Dany?" Legolas asked in amusement.

"Trying to get down," she replied and awkwardly started to shuffle down.

"You are going to fall,"

"No I'm not,"

"Yes you are,"

"No I'm not,"

"Yes you are,"

"No I'm n-AAAH!" Both Dany's hand and right foot slipped. She felt the stone graze her skin and the hard ground rushed up to meet her when arms caught her around her middle and planted her feet safely on the ground.

"You fell," said Legolas as he released her.

"No shit," she mumbled and rubbed her hand where there was a graze, "But thanks anyway,"

"My pleasure," the Prince smiled, "Come, we must catch up with the others,"

Dany stumbled towards him and they followed Charlie and Glorfindel, who were now quite a way ahead.

"Where are Dany and Legolas?" Aragorn asked Charlie as they sauntered into sight. Charlie shrugged.

"Dunno, we left them at the ridge. They can't be too far behind," the woman replied. Aragorn shook his head. That girl would be the death of the Prince of Mirkwood.

Thanks to the little incident at the ridge Legolas and Dany were quite far behind. "Do you still have that pain in your chest?" Legolas asked her.

"A little. It's when we stop it hurts,"

"When you're closer to Frodo," he sighed and Dany nodded. "Did you feel it at the dinner?"

"No. It was only when I walked past his room it hurt… like it… awakened," she shrugged. "Why?"

Legolas looked away. "You acted strangely," he said quietly.

"Strangely?" Dany asked, mildly offended. "I had just been plopped into a different world, of course I would have been acting strangely,"

"My apologies, I did not mean to offend you," Legolas sighed and looked at Dany again.

"No, I was being touchy. I guess sleeping outside makes me moody," she said, looking into Legolas' blue eyes. "What I really need is a nice warm bath," sighed Dany, which made Legolas laugh.

"I think we all need one of those,"

"Some more than others," Dany said with distaste and eyed Gimli. Legolas let out another hearty laugh which brought a smile to Dany's face. God, she could listen to that forever.

"You are a very funny mortal," the Elf said with a large grin.

"Funny as in humorous or funny as in strange?"

"Both,"

"How flattering," she mumbled and Legolas' grin widened. A few minutes of comfortable silence ensued but Dany, who did not particularly like it, broke it. "Sometimes I think I'm in a coma and this is a dream," she sighed and Legolas rolled his eyes. "Pinch me," she demanded and held up her arm.

"Why?"

"So I know it's not a dream,"

Legolas eyed her cautiously then pinched her arm. "Harder," Dany demanded and Legolas' ears reddened. "Harder!" the elf pinched her arm harder and her face twisted into slight pain. "Yeah, I'm not dreaming," she said and rubbed her arm.

"Did I hurt you?"

"Only a little, you pinch a lot harder than Charlie," Dany joked. Legolas smiled and scanned the surroundings; he had become very distracted from his original purpose by the intriguing mortal.

"What do you mean you're _thousands _ofyears old?" Charlie gasped. Glorfindel laughed and nodded. "Gandalf told me Elves were immortal… but you must have seen so many things!"

"Indeed I have, but those are stories for another time," the Elf sighed. Charlie nodded and looked away. "Will you tell me one?"

Glorfindel looked at the curious mortal and smiled. "Just one,"

"On a summer's day, about half a century ago, Elladan, Elrohir and myself were patrolling a section of the border.

"Elladan had just been given a new belt and, thinking that is was not up to his standards, elected to leave it at the House whilst we were out. We were ambushed by a small group of orcs, about twenty or so, and we began to defend ourselves,

"However, because he was not wearing a belt the ties of Elladan's breeches were becoming loose. They quickly started to slide down his legs and then he was fighting off orcs with his trousers around his ankles,"

Charlie began to laugh hysterically at the image of Elladan, a strong and proud warrior, stabbing orcs with his trousers down. Glorfindel had many more stories to tell her, ones which were not as light-hearted, but he did not want to worry the young woman. "What did the orcs think of it?" she giggled and Glorfindel laughed.

"I do not know, Elladan was sure to silence them with his blade before they spoke," the Elf replied, "Though I do think they found it rather amusing,"

Charlie smiled at him. "Do you have any stories to tell me?" Glorfindel asked her cheekily.

"Plenty. Trying to think of one, most of them involve Dany doing stupid things. Not sure she would appreciate me telling you them, but I will anyway," she replied with a smirk.

"There's this festival in England called Bonfire Night. It remembers when a guy called Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament with barrels of gunpowder, or explosives, because he didn't agree with what the King was doing, but he didn't succeed and he was executed.

"On Bonfire Night you set off fireworks and burn scarecrows dressed as Guy Fawkes and use sparklers. Anyway, we had this huge bonfire with a scarecrow on it and we'd had a few beers, okay maybe more, and Dany thought that the fire needed to be bigger, and so she got loads of petrol from her mum's car-"

"What is this petrol?"

"It's a liquid that powers cars and it practically explodes when you light it because it's so flammable. Anyway, Dany started to pour the petrol on the fire and it literally exploded and her clothes caught fire,"

Glorfindel's blue eyes widened and then he started to laugh hysterically, which only urged Charlie to finish her story. "So Dany was just standing still, watching the flames climb up her sleeves, but she wasn't screaming, she only looked me dead in the eye and said 'damn is it hot in here or am I just Satan?''" Tears streamed down Charlie's face and Glorfindel was practically choking on his own laughter. "And then she realised she was actually on fire and began to scream before she dropped to the floor and rolled on the grass to put out the flames."

Glorfindel's masculine laughter drifted down the line to where Legolas and Dany were. Dany's eyes narrowed. "I have the strangest feeling that they're laughing about me," she murmured and Legolas rolled his eyes, he knew they were laughing at her, and he struggled to keep a straight face after he heard Charlie's story. Dany stormed over to where the two were laughing and demanded to know what they were laughing about.

"We were just talking about that time you set yourself on fire," Charlie told her and Dany's eyes narrowed even more.

"… and what time was that specifically?" she asked. Glorfindel, sensing her meaning that it had happened more than once, doubled over clutching his stomach.

"Bonfire night,"

"Which bonfire night?"

"The one in Year 12,"

"Oh…" Dany realised, "That was also the time where you did something incredibly stupid," Dany wiggled her finger at Charlie. Legolas was grinning widely (because of course he heard Charlie's entire story thanks to his superior hearing) and waited for Dany to get her friend back.

"I'm all ears," said Glorfindel with a large smile.

"We had all these fireworks but Charlie decided there wasn't enough, so she cut them all in half and set them off. But because she cut them they all went off-course and started whizzing around the garden, narrowly missing people and knocking over flowerpots.

"I actually remember coming out of the house after changing out of my burnt clothes and this firework whizzing past my ear and smashing a window," Dany recounted. "I think your incident was a little more stupid then mine,"

"I hardly think that there is anything more stupid than throwing petrol onto a massive bonfire," retorted Charlie.

"Why on Earth would you cut fucking fireworks in half? Even I saw that wouldn't end well,"

"Well, you were too busy changing out of your BURNED clothes!"

"You SMASHED a WINDOW!"

"At least it was a onetime thing!"

"Those other times weren't my fault!"

"Yes they were! You set yourself on fire at your eighth birthday party!"

"THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

Legolas and Glorfindel looked at the two mortals with large grins as the argument spiralled out of control. Even Frodo, who was generally distant, had turned his head at the sound of them arguing.

"I think it would be best if you calmed down," Glorfindel gently pushed Charlie away from Dany.

"But I'm not finished yet!" Charlie whined.

"Yeah, shit's going down!"

Legolas laughed and pulled Dany away from the argument and let Charlie and Glorfindel go ahead. Throwing one last glance at Dany, Charlie took Glorfindel's arm and they followed Gandalf and the others who were quite a way ahead. Legolas grinned at Dany and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," she snapped at him. Legolas' grin only grew wider and he raised his eyebrow.

"Like what?" he teased, "From Charlie's tone it seems as though you have set yourself alight more than once,"

"That is none of your business," said Dany. Legolas raised his brow higher at her and she rolled her eyes again. "It might have happened four or five times," she added quietly. Legolas' eyes widened and then he began to laugh very loudly, the baritone of it sending shivers down Dany's spine. "It's not _that_ funny, they were near death experiences!"

"Oh, I'm sure they were," the Elf teased and Dany slapped his chest.

"They were!" Dany shouted in defence, "You don't know how many clothes I've had to throw away!"

Legolas only chuckled, which irked Dany even more. "You're such a jerk sometimes!"

"A jerk?" the Elf's smug smile was replaced with a small frown.

"…yeah!"

"What is a jerk?"

"Um..." Dany was lost for words, "I don't know how to explain it, but you are!"

"Is it a negative endearment?"

"Yeah, I guess so,"

Legolas disliked being disliked, and he clasped his hands behind his back. "I do not wish to be a 'jerk',"

"Well, you're not always a jerk," now Dany just felt guilty, he was only laughing and teasing her because he found it funny, "You're super nice, and I'm a lot meaner than you anyway…"

Legolas didn't answer. "I'm sorry Legolas. I don't want to be an ass like I was back in Rivendell,"

"You were not an 'ass'. You were confused and in a strange new world, I for one didn't think you were an 'ass'." Legolas answered quickly, surprised that she thought so lowly of herself.

"Really?" Dany asked.

"Really." he replied with a kind smile. Dany grinned at him then threw her arms around his middle unexpectedly, catching the Elf off guard for a moment, then he returned the embrace with a chuckle. "Thank you," Dany murmured against his chest, "Thank you so much. You've only been kind to me and I'm so grateful, I need a, um, friend like you,"

"I am glad we are friends Dany, truly," Legolas sighed and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I have never had the pleasure of meeting anybody like you, much less a woman," the only two Elves he knew that had a personality like Dany were the twins Elladan and Elrohir because of their mischievous ways, but nobody came close to possessing the sarcasm and dry humour that ran through Dany's veins. He also thought of Charlie as a friend, the two girls were very similar yet different in so many ways.

Dany reluctantly pulled away from the Elf and smiled again, almost shivering at the loss of contact. She had noticed that because she couldn't stray too far to Frodo she had barely spoken with the others of the group, even Sam and Bill the pony were nearer the main bulk of it. Dany had exchanged a few words with Gimli the dwarf, Sam and Frodo, and had a few conversations with Boromir and Aragorn, and when Frodo wasn't glued to Gandalf's side she had asked the wizard countless questions about her ancestry.

Dany tilted her head to look at the Elf who was by her side, and smiled when the now low-lying sun cast a golden light across his high cheekbones and handsome features. Though she was not one to get mushy and express her feelings, she was incredibly grateful to the Elf that stood by her. Of course she could always speak to Charlie and Glorfindel, but if she were to be honest, she would feel rather like a third wheel the way they interacted so easily with each other. Dany was almost jealous that her friend could connect with others so easily. It wasn't because Dany didn't trust others or didn't like them; she just didn't have the same magnetic personality Charlie had. Legolas was an exception; after training with him for a week she was now travelling across Middle Earth with him, and she counted him as a new friend. She still wanted to get in his pants (because who wouldn't?) but she didn't openly flirt with him, at least she thought she didn't.

"Is something on your mind?" he asked her, snapping Dany out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh, just thinking about random things," she replied sleepily. Fatigue was starting to set in and the bags under her eyes were more prominent, which worried Legolas slightly. "Do you know when we'll be stopping? I'm absolutely knackered," Dany asked and yawned.

"I thought you could handle only having three hours of sleep," the Elf teased. Dany rubbed her eyes in both tiredness and annoyance.

"Well I usually can, but I don't usually walk for miles and miles," she retorted.

"I suppose we will stop soon. The sun is beginning to set,"

"Good. I'm hungry too,"

"You are always hungry,"

Dany rolled her eyes at the Elf who grinned in response, which irked her to no end, but she smiled back anyway.

**Sorry it's a short one this time, but it was great writing the fluffy parts. Next chapter will be more dramatic, so please rate and review!**

**(A/N: The feelings Dany and Charlie have toward the two Elves are purely lust and friendly at the moment, but there will be a time skip next chapter so the relationship dynamics might change quickly)**


	10. Chapter 9

_Two Weeks Later_

"When will we get there?" whined Charlie. The blisters on her feet were making each step rather painful and she hadn't washed in four days, and Gandalf had awoken them at the crack of dawn so she was exhausted. All in all, she wanted to go home. Or at least make it to Lothlórien where she could have a bath.

"We have two weeks of travel left; we must make for the Pass of Caradhras," Gandalf called from the front. "Usually it takes forty days from Rivendell but we have been slowed."

"We shall be there soon Charlie," Glorfindel said from beside her, "At least it will not take three weeks like we thought it would,"

"Not soon enough though," she muttered. The woman turned around to glance at Dany and Legolas who were at the very back and smiled. Over the past month they had grown quite close, mainly due to the fact that Dany didn't venture to far into the group, and so she didn't speak with anyone else much.

"Ugh, I really shouldn't have worn my 'feeling confident' underwear on the first day of work," groaned Dany and she adjusted her underwear, "They keep riding up,"

"Lovely," said Legolas. After spending quite a bit of time with Dany he had begun to develop some of her mannerisms, most notably her sarcasm, which had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the Fellowship. Aragorn, Charlie and Glorfindel teased him to no end about it, to which he would reply with one of Dany's snide remarks. They had come in particularly useful when arguing with the insufferable dwarf, Gimli.

"These are so not for long distance walks," mumbled Dany and she pulled the waistband up to expose the purple lace. Legolas' face reddened and he turned away and swallowed. "What?"

"I do not believe that is appropriate," he replied slowly then turned his head again.

"Oh come on, Charlie's seen my underwear plenty of times,"

"We may be friends Dany but I am still a male,"

"I don't care," Dany scoffed, "So why should you?"

A muscle in Legolas' jaw twitched. He had no way to answer. Dany and Charlie had told everyone of their world and clearly it was very different socially. Women were mostly regarded as strong as men, and were very much independent and determined, which the two mortals echoed. When Glorfindel had suggested that they wash clothes they had both laughed in his face, telling him that it he wanted his underwear washed he should do it himself.

The Fellowship was growing accustomed to travelling with women, though the attitudes towards what was appropriate and what wasn't differed between them. Charlie and Dany were very open about themselves, so Dany had no problem exposing some of her underwear to Legolas. Dany's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"If it makes you uncomfortable I won't do it," she sighed. Legolas and the others weren't changing their minds on social etiquette anytime soon, so there was no point in trying to change their views.

"Thank-you, I appreciate it," Legolas smiled at her, and Dany's heart fluttered. The last two weeks had not been very interesting. The two girls were getting used to sleeping outside and walking every day, though their muscles were constantly aching. The pain Dany had whenever she was near the ring was gradually going away after spending some time with it, so she had interacted more with others from the group. But Glorfindel and Legolas still didn't let her near Frodo at all, just in case she collapsed again. This meant she was the one who usually lost out on sleeping near the fire at night (Frodo was given priority) and was always at the back.

Dany sighed and rubbed her eyes. Strange and disturbing dreams plagued her at night so she regularly only got two or three hours of sleep, putting immense pressure on her body, she had actually fainted when getting firewood a few days earlier but she hadn't told anyone about that, she didn't want to worry them.

"Dany?"

"Hm?"

"Is there something on your mind?" Legolas asked her. Dany shrugged at him.

"Only little things," she half lied.

"Such as?"

"Jesus, you're a nosy parker aren't you!" Dany jested and the Elf laughed. "Well, it's nice breathing fresh air," Dany said with a small smile and she breathed in deeply. The crisp afternoon air was different to that of the forest, where it was heavier and held a muskier smell, but the air of the open land was clean. A gentle breeze ruffled Dany's hair slightly, making her blink.

"Is there something wrong with the air in your world?" Legolas asked curiously. His brow was creased slightly, Dany's world sounded both wonderful and terrible at the same time.

"In some places. Our cars, planes, trucks and other things have waste products which pollute the air in our towns and cities. It's turning out to be a big problem,"

Legolas sighed and nodded in understanding. "That is awful. As an Elf I am connected with nature,"

"Yeah, well hopefully you'll learn from our mistakes," Dany shrugged and tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear.

"By what do you mean?"

"You honestly think Middle Earth will be like this for the rest of eternity?" she replied. "There will be an industrial revolution."

Legolas didn't answer, and so Dany's brows furrowed. She decided to not pursue the subject. "When will we be stopping?"

"I do not know. I think Aragorn is hoping to hunt for dinner before nightfall, so it shall be soon." He replied. Dany looked over to the Ranger up ahead who was talking with Gandalf, most probably about their route to Mordor. Oh yeah. They were going to Mordor.

"Are you going to come to Lothlórien with us?" she asked the Elf suddenly.

Legolas smiled weakly and looked down at her. "I do not know which route Mithrandir intends to take,"

Dany's face fell. "So you might not?" the thought of not seeing Legolas made her heart drop. Who knew you could become so attached to someone over such a small amount of time?

"We may, we may not. Perhaps you should ask him yourself," Legolas answered with a grin. Dany groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Frodo has been practically glued to his side for the past week, I can't go anywhere near him," she complained and Legolas chuckled.

"Why does this bother you so?"

Dany shrugged innocently. "I would miss you,"

The Elf raised an eyebrow at her in surprise, though inside his heart sang. "You would miss me?" Legolas asked playfully, hoping that this cheeky façade would conceal his joy.

"Yeah," Dany replied defensively. "Would you miss me?"

Legolas looked down at the ground and clasped his hands behind his back, a habit he had when he was uncomfortable or sad. He had grown attached to Dany over the past three weeks and he would miss her greatly. "Aye, I would."

Dany smiled at him. "We shall make camp here," Gandalf called from the front. Dany let out a sigh of relief and followed Charlie to a rock where she massaged her aching feet.

"We will need meat. Would you accompany me, Legolas?" Aragorn asked whilst he put down his pack. The elf nodded and smiled at Dany before he went off with the Ranger to hunt.

"Be back before nightfall," Gandalf advised and he lit his pipe. Dany looked up to see Legolas notch an arrow in his bow and Aragorn beckoned for him to follow. She watched as they searched the area and in a flash they were gone. A pang of worry swelled in Dany's chest and she sighed, why was she so worried about them, Legolas in particular? Glorfindel, sensing her discomfort, sat himself down next to her.

"You should not worry for them. They are experienced hunters," he said softly. Dany pulled her knees to her chest and smiled at him.

"I know."

Glorfindel nodded and looked into the middle distance. He could not tell her to not worry when he worried so greatly himself. He worried for the mortals and the quest, Rivendell, and the threat of Sauron. He would be a fool to not worry. He heard Charlie curse behind him when she dropped a pan, making his face break into a wide grin.

"Have you seen something?" Dany asked him curiously. Glorfindel grinned wider and shook his head.

"Nay,"

Dany smiled and nodded. He was obviously thinking of Charlie. She ran her hand through her greasy brown hair and sighed again. "When do you think we'll stop to wash again?"

"I do not know. There is not a source of water for miles, maybe it will rain," Glorfindel answered with a smile and Dany groaned.

_Stupid Elves and their perfect complexion, _she thought to herself as she subconsciously rubbed her face, _I bet they never get spots. _Water was precious and so she saved it for drinking, and the makeup wipes she had were being saved too so she hadn't washed her face for almost a week. Spots were breaking out on her forehead and chin and hair was beginning to grow back on her legs and under her arms, and she didn't smell too pleasant either. Charlie was exactly the same, but her highlighted hair didn't get as greasy as Dany's.

"I would kill for a bath," Dany murmured as she raked her hands through her hair, "Or a warm shower,"

The stream they had washed in four days ago had been cold and not very nice, but she would take the opportunity to wash the sweat from her forehead. Glorfindel agreed with her and was about to lie down when he suddenly leapt to his feet. "Up," he commanded to Dany and held out his hand.

"What?"

"Just get up."

Dany eyed the Elf warily then accepted his hand and he pulled her up. "We can continue with your training,"

Dany raised a dark eyebrow. "What? Right now?"

"Aye," Glorfindel replied and released her hand. "You have your sword. Have you named it yet?"

"No, and don't change the subject! We've been trekking for hours, I'm tired as shit,"

"It doesn't matter. And you really should name it,"

Dany looked down at the light blade that hung at her hip. At the beginning of the journey it had bashed into her ankle and dug into her shin, but now she hardly noticed it. The blade was a fair weight, not nearly as heavy as Aragorn or Boromir's swords, but heavy enough to be strong to cause damage of a sort. Dany rolled her eyes and reluctantly pulled her sword from its sheath and stood with her feet apart. Glorfindel came at her slowly and she blocked it, shock waves travelling up the length of her arms. She gritted her teeth and tried to push the other blade away with her own but he was too strong. Obviously he was stronger but he was demonstrating how an orc or goblin would fight, though the Uruk-Hai, a stronger breed of orc, could easily overpower the mortal.

"Try harder!" Glorfindel barked, "You can do better with this!"

With difficulty, Dany brought her own blade up higher and took a risk, which if went tits-up could seriously injure her. She swung her blade and jumped back, dodging Glorfindel's own sword as it rushed forwards, and kicked the Elf square in the chest. Obviously he was too strong to fall over, but he was startled and Dany took the opportunity to knock his sword out of his hand and hold her own blade to his chest.

"That is dirty fighting," Glorfindel said slowly and held up his hands in surrender.

"As long as I live I don't care," replied Dany. She lowered her blade and sheathed it again at her side. Glorfindel shook his head in amusement and looked away to where Charlie was helping set up a fire. Dany followed his line of vision and smirked; the Elf was smitten with her best friend. Flames sprung from the dry twigs and leaves and Charlie grinned at her handiwork.

"Hopefully they will be back pronto," Charlie sighed and she rubbed her hands together.

"Pronto?" Glorfindel asked and he sat beside her. Dany looked to see if Frodo was around before she too sat down near the fire, grateful for the warmth that spread to her fingers.

"It's Spanish for soon," Charlie clarified.

"Do you speak 'Spanish'?" the Elf enquired and Dany giggled at his persistence.

"Definitely not fluently, but I can hold up a conversation," Charlie shrugged her shoulders, "And so can Dany,"

Glorfindel looked over to Dany who nodded. "I studied it for my exams,"

"And we've been to Mexico and Spain before," added Charlie.

"I loved Mexico. Was too fun," Dany reminisced.

"You can tell us of Mexico over dinner," Glorfindel said with a smile, "I think I can hear Aragorn and Legolas returning,"

Merry and Pippin's ears perked up at the prospect of dinner and they hurried over to the fire where Sam was prepping the pan. Gandalf looked expectantly at Dany and she shuffled backwards to allow Frodo to get closer to the fire, after all, the Ring-bearer came first. Aragorn came into sight first, carrying three rabbits. Legolas followed him and flashed a large smile at Dany who grinned in response, and the constant weight in her chest lessened slightly. He was safe.

"Only three?" Gimli asked gruffly, "Did pointy-ears miss his target?"

Both Dany and Legolas shot the dwarf a dirty look. "Nay, but are you well rested now Master Dwarf?" Legolas asked him, his voice dripping with distaste. Boromir bit his lip to keep himself from smiling when Gimli began to mumble insults incoherently, obviously slightly offended by Legolas' retort. The Elf sat himself beside Dany after Aragorn tossed a rabbit to Boromir to skin.

"Ooo, looks like we need a nickname for you," Charlie said to him. "Hmm, what about Legosass?"

The Elf's face broke into a large grin and he chuckled. "Yeah, you practically swaggered over here," Dany added.

"Swaggered?"

"Y'know, walked with a purpose," Dany explained, "If you have swag you're cool."

"Cool? As in cold?"

"No, as in… good, popular, desirable, that kinda stuff,"

"So like 'swell'?"

"Swell?" Dany asked on the verge of laughing, "Who says swell anymore? Not even my grandparents use 'swell'!"

"Why not?" Legolas' brow furrowed. Dany shrugged.

"It goes out of fashion. Like clothes, hairstyles, music and words go out of fashion. If you use swell you're the opposite of cool,"

"So if I have swag… I'm cool?"

"And if you're cool you have swag!" Dany exclaimed, "But the word 'swag' is going out of fashion too."

Legolas nodded. Dany looked over to Boromir who was skinning the rabbit, and cringed every time he pulled off a tuft of fur. She turned her head away when he finished and began to strip the meat from the bones, looking at it made her feel a bit sick. "Do you not like rabbit?" the Elf asked her.

"No, I'm alright eating it," she replied with a shake of the head, "But I don't like watching the… preparation,"

"It disturbs you?"

"A little, it isn't nice to watch," she said and shivered. Legolas frowned. Was she ready to face the dangers of this world?

The sound of meat sizzling in a pan made Dany's stomach rumble. As much as she hated the blood and the sound of flesh being ripped from bone she sure was hungry; and rabbit didn't taste that bad either.

"How do you get food in your world if you don't hunt?" Legolas asked, not able to contain his curiosity. At the mention of food Merry and Pippin shuffled over to where they were sitting and listened eagerly.

"Some people farm crops and animals and sell them to supermarkets where the rest of us buy them from," Dany explained, "Of course it differs, in other countries people still hunt for food, but not so much in developed countries,"

"So you can buy food whenever you want?" Pippin asked excitedly.

"Yeah, and we import food from other countries so we can have stuff like strawberries in the middle of winter, and we can taste new and exotic food,"

"That sounds amazing!" Merry exclaimed, "Imagine having strawberries while it snows!"

Dany laughed and Sam began to cook the other to rabbits. "Glorfindel, would you take first watch tonight?" Aragorn called to the Rivendell elf. Glorfindel looked up from his conversation with Charlie and nodded. Gandalf was observing the group with Frodo at his side, smoking his pipe, paying close attention to the women in particular. Smoke the same colour as his robes lazily drifted from the pipe before the wisps disappeared into the evening air.

Dany rolled out her bedroll and placed her rucksack beneath her head, letting the smell of the rabbit and the crispness of the evening assault her senses. It was so peaceful in Middle Earth, beautiful as well, but it wasn't home. Dany longed for the busy streets of London and the softness of her bed and the warmth of the central heating. Her back ached from sleeping on the hard ground and a thin layer of grime and dirt covered her from head to toe, so she was both dreading and looking forward to Lothlórien. She wanted comfort but she didn't want to leave her friends, and by friends she meant Legolas. She smiled at the Elf beside her and he returned the gesture, her chest flooding with warmth.

"Dinner's ready!" Sam called.

Charlie picked the meat off the bone and chewed the tough meat slowly. It wasn't to her taste but it would have to do. Glorfindel noticed that she had finished her share but she looked unsatisfied. "Do you want some lembas?" he asked her.

"I don't have any left," Charlie replied, and Glorfindel smiled weakly.

"Have some of mine," he rummaged in his pack and brought out the bread. Charlie shook her head.

"No, it's yours, I can't take it,"

"Please Charlie; you clearly have not had enough to eat these past few days,"

"I can't take your food,"

"I insist," Glorfindel broke off a piece and held it out to her. Charlie sighed and accepted it.

"Thanks,"

"You still haven't told us about Mexico," Glorfindel hinted and Charlie sighed again.

"Do I have to tell you?"

"I would like you to, yes,"

The camp listened eagerly whilst Charlie recounted the duo's holiday to the country the year before.

"Everyone advised us not to go to Mexico because it has a high crime rate, but we decided to go anyway to test our linguistic skills and stuff," Charlie began, "It was our first night in the hotel we were staying in and we were fast asleep when we heard shouting downstairs. We were with our friends Daisy and Louise, by the way. Anyway, I woke up and panicked and tried to find Dany but I couldn't find her. So I go downstairs, practically peeing myself because I was so scared, and I go down to the pool to see Dany having a drinking contest with this Mexican dude and everyone was watching, it was so weird,"

Everyone began to laugh and gave Dany some strange looks.

"I couldn't sleep, and it was one hell of a party anyway!" Dany added and threw her hands in the air, "I did lose though."

"How unfortunate," Legolas teased and Dany shot him a look.

"And that's not the only thing that happened! On the third day we were out driving…."

They had stopped for a rest, and whilst Sam started to get the fire ready the other halfings Merry and Pippin were being taught by Boromir how to defend themselves with swords. Dany lay sprawled across a rock moaning softly about how her feet had never been more painful, and Legolas chuckled at both the Hobbits jumping on top of Boromir and the complaining girl who lay on the same rock that he was standing on to keep watch. Charlie had decided to sit cross legged, watching the fight if you could call it that. Meanwhile, Gimli had cornered Gandalf and was busying him with his opinion on journeying through the mines of Moria.

"What's that?" Sam spoke up and pointed to a black shape in the distant sky.

"Nothing...It's just a wisp of cloud." Gimli replied, brushing it off. The whole camp had turned to the object of Sam's sight and watched the dark shape approach them, aside from Charlie who was sorting through her few belongings.

"That is not a wisp of cloud Gimli and I don't care what you say, I'm outta here!" Dany cried and ran to the nearest bush before diving into it.

"It's moving fast, it's against the wind," Boromir spoke nervously,sounding worried with his brow furrowed.

"Crebain from Dunland!" The voice of Legolas echoed around them and everyone frantically dived into the nearest hiding place. Well, everyone aside from Charlie who was looking around concerned. She went to stand and run before collapsing and furiously hitting her dead leg.

"Okay okay, just breathe Charlie," She mumbled under her breath trying not to panic. Her eyes widened and upon realising that there was no way she would be able to stand up she lay down and started rolling towards the nearest bush. _Rolling away from danger, what a way to go _Charlie thought to herself. Sniggers came from the hobbits who were given stern looks by Aragorn as Charlie made it to safety in a nearby bush. Arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled completely out of view from the spies by Glorfindel. The bush was large enough for both of them, but only when Charlie had her knees pulled up to her chin and Glorfindel was crouching down, which Charlie hadn't quite figured out why. His arms were still around her waist as neither of them dared move in case of alerting the Crebain and she leant her back against his chest for comfort, not because it would allow her more leg room. She tensed as she heard the cries of the spies of Saruman and he held her closer instinctively, stroking her hair.

Meanwhile, Legolas had dived into the same hiding place as Aragorn and Dany, which she wasn't impressed at as she had chosen her place to hide first. The group of bushes that shielded them was a decent size but they all still had to be incredibly close. Aragorn and Legolas were crouched but Dany had face planted the floor after a failed dive into the bush and then being knocked over by Aragorn scrambling to cover. Legolas had been quietly laughing to himself until a deadly stare and a kick to the shin (which obviously hadn't hurt him) had shut him up.

Gandalf's voice told them all that the coast was clear: "Spies of Saruman, the passage south is being watched," Aragorn, followed by Legolas who pulled an unamused Dany from the foliage and the hobbits all came from their hiding places. Gimli staggered out of his position rather ungracefully, much to Legolas' amusement.

"We must take the pass of Cahdras," Gandalf announced as a squeal came from Charlie

"Ew, ew, ew, ewwww Dany what is on me! It better just be mud! " Charlie spoke quickly attempting to brush off the stuff that was indeed mud off of her clothes.

"Come here you idiot, it's just mud," Dany announced before brushing her friend down. "There, just mud see? Panic over." She spoke in a way one might speak to a young child who was worried but it didn't seem to faze Charlie, who nodded her head in thanks.

"The stars are really bright tonight," Dany whispered to Legolas, who was lying next to her.

"Aye," he replied. Night had fallen and there was a soft breeze which rippled the grass they were resting on, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Glorfindel was keeping watch and so Legolas was by Dany's side.

"Aragorn told me that stars are important to Elves," she said in a hushed voice and Legolas nodded. "Why?"

"When Elves first awoke the first thing they saw were the stars," Legolas answered, "We have many feasts in their honour,"

"Cool. You know…" Dany began and Legolas smiled at her constant need to tell him facts, "When we look at the stars we are looking back in time,"

"How so?" Legolas breathed. This was very intriguing.

"Stars are so far away it takes a long time for their light to reach us," she explained. "In fact some stars we look at might be dead, but their light has only just reached us."

"Fascinating," said Legolas, "You have been very surprising,"

"What do you mean?" Dany asked suspiciously.

"Well, I have not encountered many mortals but I know that they are not so sharp," Legolas answered and Dany felt her anger rise. "You are a very smart being, especially for a woman."

That did it. "So you think that because I am a female and I am of the race of men I should be stupid?"

Legolas didn't reply. He could sense that she was upset by his comments and he didn't want to start an argument, but his silence was doing exactly that.

"Just because I'm not an Elf doesn't mean that I can't be smart," Dany ranted, "I know for a fact that the men and women of my world are a _lot _smarter than any race here in Middle Earth and that includes Elves."

Now Legolas was beginning to grow angry, and his jaw clenched. "I beg to differ," he said slowly, "Elves are the first children of the Valar-"

"Just because you were born first doesn't mean you're any smarter. You are wiser but only because you've been alive for three thousand fucking years," Dany spat and she rolled over. Legolas sighed in frustration and took over Glorfindel's watch. The anger within him slowly bubbled away once the camp was peaceful. The wind still whistled through the grass but that calmed him. The Elf even stole a few glances at Dany to check she was sleeping. His brow creased when he saw that she was trembling, and was about to go and see her when a voice made him freeze.

"She is very strong willed," Aragorn said from behind him.

"You don't say," Legolas said sarcastically. The Ranger chuckled at this newly developed mannerism and went to stand beside the Elf. "She was insulting my kin," Legolas said through gritted teeth.

"But in fairness you did insult her," Aragorn pointed out. Legolas frowned and turned to face him.

"How so? I was complimenting her,"

"A backhanded compliment, maybe, but you insulted her kin first," Aragorn chuckled, "You must remember that the men of this world and hers may look the same but they think very differently."

"I do sometimes forget that," the Elf admitted.

"It looks as though you have found a great friend in her," the Ranger added, "Don't lose that because of petty arguments about kin. You're both as stubborn and proud as each other, neither of you will win," Aragorn clapped Legolas on the shoulder before going back to his bedroll. It was true; Legolas had found a great friend within the mortal. But did it explain the butterflies he got in his stomach whenever she smiled at him, or how he suddenly got nervous around her? Legolas shook his head of those thoughts. His father had told him of courtship and this certainly wasn't it.

Legolas easily forgave Dany, he was mostly in the wrong anyway, but he knew she wouldn't forgive him so easily. He looked back over at the sleeping mortal and smiled when she wasn't trembling anymore, then looked over to the horizon again.

The trek up the mountain range was gruelling. Dany pulled the Elven cloak tighter around her body as she trudged through the thick layer of snow. Her teeth were chattering and her hands were shaking, and the sticky snow was making each step a lot more difficult than it should have been. Up ahead, Charlie was not faring any better. Glorfindel had pulled her to his side to try and keep her farm but she was still violently shivering; Charlie had always felt the cold more than Dany. The Hobbits and Gimli were also struggling with the harsh terrain and even Boromir, Aragorn and Gandalf were slower than usual. Dany looked up enviously at Legolas who was walking _on top_ of the snow, he didn't seem at all affected by the ice, and neither did Glorfindel.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she slipped and was about to tumble to the floor when Legolas caught her elbow and steadied her. Dany muttered a thanks and carried on walking. It had been a frequent occurrence since they had started the ascent and she was grateful to him for helping her, but there was still an awkward atmosphere about them. The handsome elf offered her a small smile but she did not return it.

There was a cry from up ahead and Dany's head snapped up to see Frodo tumble down the snow and roll near Dany, pain stabbing through her as her knees buckled and her chest constricted. "Dany!" Legolas cried and dropped to the ground to hold her. Though Frodo was now further from her the pain did not stop, the unbearable throbbing lingered within her. Legolas saw it before anyone else.

The One Ring sat gleaming amongst the powder white snow, and Legolas hesitated for a moment before scooping up a gasping Dany and he carried her away from the ring. Everyone watched as Boromir picked up the chain that held it and it dangled in front of his face, mesmerized by the piece of jewellery.

"Boromir," Aragorn warned. Dany saw the wariness in the Ranger's eyes when he laid a hand on the Hobbit's back.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...such a little thing," Boromir murmured. Charlie swallowed slowly and Glorfindel started to slowly nudge her away from the Gondorian. If something was going to happen he didn't want Charlie to get hurt.

"Boromir," Aragorn repeated, his hand fluttering over the hilt of his sword, "Give the Ring to Frodo."

The man did not look up. Suddenly Boromir's eyes flashed up to the Hobbit and he smiled. He gave the Ring back to Frodo and ruffled his hair. "As you wish, I care not."

Aragorn's hand left the hilt of the blade and Boromir walked away, a smile on his face. It was only then when Dany realised Legolas was still holding her and she awkwardly coughed. He then realised what he was doing and reluctantly released her. Dany missed the warmth of his chest but she said nothing, she wasn't going to give in.

It was too cold to speak and so the Fellowship was silent, a stark contrast to the constant chatter of the mortals and the Elves. Legolas missed the weird and random conversations he had with Dany but he had a duty to uphold, he had to be the eyes and ears of the company. Besides, Dany was still not talking to him after the conversation they had the night before. The sun was slowly disappearing beneath the mountain range and everyone was growing tired. Dany's cheeks and nose were pink and her nose was beginning to run, and her toes were numb within her Converse, but there were many hours of walking ahead. Dany shivered once more and tightened the cloak, watching her breath drift up before her.

Charlie just wanted to stop. To stop in front of a warm fire and eat a hot meal and sleep. But she couldn't. Glorfindel was trying his best to keep her warm but she was still freezing, if she wasn't careful she could get hypothermia. She kept moving at a fast pace at the beginning to keep up her body temperature but now she was just stumbling around, and Glorfindel's arm was now locked around her shoulder to keep her from falling.

"We shall be stopping soon," he reassured her, his hot breath tickling her ear.

"I-I-I'm j-just so c-cold," she stammered due to her chattering teeth.

"I know Charlie," the Elf sighed; there wasn't much he could do. Gandalf was determined to make it over the pass and then they could rest the next morning.

The climb was growing steeper and the snow now came up to waist height, and a blistering blizzard was blinding them. The two Elves were now acting as the ears and the eyes of the group and the Hobbits were being carried by the men, so Charlie was now clinging to Dany to try and keep warm. Dany just wanted to collapse into the ground and sleep. She daydreamed of her warm bed at home, drinking hot chocolate and nestling in front of a warm fire with fluffy socks on…

Legolas' urgent voice interrupted her reverie. "There is a fell voice in the air!"

What the fuck was he going on about? The only voice she could hear was his…

But then she listened closer, there _was _a voice in the air, muttering incoherently. "It is Saruman!" Gandalf cried. Suddenly the ground started to shake and snow began to fall from above.

"EARTHQUAKE!" Dany screamed, "IT'S A FUCKING EARTHQUAKE!" Charlie clung to her middle and in turn Dany squeezed her close.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted over the howling of the wind, "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf replied. He raised his staff and began to chant words in another language, obviously trying to stop this Saruman guy. Dany's head began to throb and she began to feel dizzy, and she let more of her weight rest on Charlie. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho I ruith!"

Then another unbearable pain ricocheted through Dany's being, but she was more prepared for it this time. Her breath came in shaky gasps as she watched Aragorn desperately try to keep holding onto the two Hobbits and Gandalf trying to 'calm' the mountain. There was a loud rumble from above and a deadly avalanche hurtled down towards the Fellowship. "Go against the mountain!" she heard Glorfindel cry and so Dany threw herself and Charlie against the side of the mountain. The snow crashed over them, burying them.

Charlie couldn't breathe.

She was enclosed and she couldn't see.

She was panicking.

_I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…_

Then she felt something grab her shoulder and haul her upwards out of the snow. She took deep breaths as she came face to face with Glorfindel, who had fresh snow glistening in his blonde looks. "Are you alright?" his deep voice was music to her ears. She nodded shakily, but she honestly felt like she was going to be sick. The cold air stung her face and made her eyes water. "Just try and stay with me." Charlie nodded again and melted into his arms.

"Where's Dany?" Legolas' panicked voice spoke up, and like Glorfindel he too had snow in his hair.

"Sh-she was right n-next to me," Charlie replied and immediately Legolas began shovelling snow out of the way with his hands. "Oh G-god, is she alright?"

"Dany!" Legolas pulled the woman up by her arms and held her against him to heat her up.

"Sh-shit, it's freezing!" Dany stuttered and she shivered in the Prince's arms.

"Do not fret," Legolas said and put her down, "We will find a place to rest now,"

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city!" Boromir pleaded.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," Aragorn countered, he was not taking any chances. Gimli the dwarf then spoke up; his heavy accent had a slight lisp due to the freezing cold.

"We cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it!" said the fiery-haired dwarf, "Let us go through the mines of Moria!"

Being inside and out of the cold appealed to Dany, but she hated going underground. She felt so enclosed, and it was dark and damp, she would rather go over the snow.

"Let the Ring-bearer decide," Gandalf said gravely whilst looking at Frodo. "Frodo?"

The Hobbit looked as though he had the weight of the world upon his shoulders, though Dany supposed he had. He gulped then made his decision. "We will go through the mines."

Both Charlie and Dany's faces fell. They both feared the darkness of being underground. Gandalf also had a sad look upon his face; then he nodded. "So be it."

Dany looked up to Legolas, then looked away again. She still didn't want to face him. Going back down the mountain was easier because they now had a clearer path, but Charlie had to be carried by Glorfindel because she was so cold.

"She should be moving to keep her body temperature up," Dany warned the Elf carrying her.

"She can barely move," he argued back. Dany thought he just wanted to play the hero and carry her to safety but Charlie needed to move.

"Her body temperature will drop below thirty five degrees. If that happens she can catch hypothermia," Dany sighed. Glorfindel was still not listening but Dany was stubborn. "Please Glorfindel, she will get really ill."

Glorfindel frowned at her then sped up his pace, passing her and going to the front. Why was no-one listening to her?

"He will not listen," Legolas spoke from behind her suddenly, making Dany jump.

"Jesus Legolas! Don't do that!" Dany snapped. She was rather irritable because of the cold and Legolas was worrying about her. "And I know he won't listen, he's smitten with her,"

"Aye," he replied with a mischievous smile. "But are _you_ alright?"

"Am I alright? We were all just buried by a fucking avalanche," Dany grumbled, "I just want to go home."

Legolas nodded and looked down into the snow. "Lothlórien is not too far from the mines."

"Good," said Dany, "I'm sick of all this snow,"

The Elf chuckled and was pleased she was speaking to him.

"We rest here for tonight. It is too dangerous to travel down the mountain in the dark," Gandalf called, though his voice sounded different, almost frightened. Dany peered into the cave. It was dark and cramped; she knew she would have trouble sleeping. The group piled inside and immediately started a small fire using some wood Boromir had stored in his pack, and Glorfindel laid Charlie down onto the cold, hard floor near the fire.

Dany looked at her best friend, who was pale and her lips were blue. She had stopped shivering. "Oh shit," Dany murmured.

"What is it?" asked Legolas.

"She's stopped shivering," Dany replied in a small voice.

"And that is good," Glorfindel wrapped another blanket around Charlie. "She's warming up,"

"No, it's not," Dany crouched beside her friend, "It's still cold out here. She's got hypothermia."

"What?"

"It's what happens to your body when your body temperature is too low, it can be fatal." With limited resources there wasn't much Dany could do except remove Charlie's wet clothes and change her into the dry ones. "We need to get to Lothlórien soon,"

"And we will," Glorfindel replied with a hint of agitation in his voice, "If we go through the mines our journey is shorter. Why didn't I see that she was ill?" He stood up sharply.

"It's not your fault. Elves probably don't get hypothermia," Dany reassured him and he smiled. "Just try and keep her warm for now, and bring her body temperature up gradually,"

The Hobbits whooped with delight when the fire was finally started. Shivering, Dany pulled the cloak ever tighter around herself. "Come sit closer to the fire Dany," Boromir patted the space next to him.

"I can't," she replied with a smile and Boromir looked confused, then she tilted her head towards Frodo who was crouched next to Gandalf. Boromir nodded then tossed another blanket at her to keep warm. She nodded in thanks and wrapped it around her shoulders, but her cheeks and ears were still burning with cold.

"Are you still cold?" Legolas' voice made her jump.

"Yeah," she replied after the initial shock. Legolas sat beside her and she noticed that he wasn't shivering. "Jesus, when you said Elves didn't feel the cold I didn't think you meant _this cold_."

Legolas chuckled and it was music to Dany's ears. "I am sorry about what I said last night. It was quite insulting and I know why you were offended," Legolas apologised.

"And I'm sorry too," Dany sighed, "I'm proud of myself and my people and I will defend them, but I insulted yours whilst doing that. Sorry."

"You are forgiven,"

"You too," Dany smiled at the Elf and he grinned back. Another shiver shook her shoulders and she rubbed her hands to together to try and generate some warmth. "Fuck."

"You promised not to curse," Legolas teased.

"Yeah but that promise doesn't count," Dany replied, "I crossed my fingers, remember?"

Legolas shook his head in amusement, but then frowned when Dany shivered violently again. "Come here," Legolas opened his arms wide.

"Why?"

"I will warm you up,"

"By cuddling? Son, I can think of other more productive ways in which we can 'warm up'," Dany said with a wink and Legolas laughed.

"Though I am not adverse to that suggestion I'm not sure the others will appreciate it," Legolas replied in the same teasing manner and Dany's heart fluttered.

_Damn, _she thought to herself, _did he mean that he is attracted to me or was he just playing along?_

Dany shuffled closer to Legolas, and was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her and practically pulled her into his lap. "I thought Elves didn't do this sort of thing," Dany teased and the Elf laughed again.

"They don't, but I hope you don't mind,"

"No, not at all."

The heat radiating from Legolas warmed Dany up in no time, and soon she wasn't shivering anymore. "Dammit, why didn't we do this before?" Dany asked the Elf and he raised a dark eyebrow in response. "I've been cold for the past three weeks and you could've warmed me up!"

The Elf laughed and pulled her tighter against his chest. "The thought hasn't crossed my mind until now,"

"You're better than a fire," Dany murmured into his chest.

"Charlie, you're awake!" Pippin squealed behind her. Both turned their heads to see Charlie stir from her 'sleep'. "I feel terrible," she groaned and rubbed her forehead, "What the hell happened?"

"Hypothermia happened," Dany said dryly. Charlie squinted at her friend then almost did a double-take when she saw her sitting on Legolas' lap. "What? I'm cold,"

Charlie shook her head and was promptly enveloped in a bone-breaking hug. "Thank the Valar you are alright," Glorfindel exclaimed. As much as Charlie loved being hugged by the handsome Elf she didn't like being smothered.

"Yeah, I'm alright Finny, no need to crush me,"

"Sorry," the Elf apologised. Charlie shivered again and crept closer to the fire. There was no food cooking tonight, and so they waited for some lembas to defrost.

Sleeping on the cold cave floor was worse than sleeping on grass. Dany's back hurt like hell and there was a crick in her neck. "Tough night sleeping?" Charlie teased and Dany flicked some snow at her.

"Ow! You'll get me sick again,"

"I saved your ass in the first place," Dany snapped, "I practically threw both of us out of the way of that avalanche,"

"It didn't really work out though," replied Charlie and Dany almost growled at her.

Legolas eyed the two mortals suspiciously. They had been grumpier than usual, and had been at each other's throats ever since they awoke. Charlie sped up her pace to walk side by side with Glorfindel and Dany rolled her eyes.

"Why are you so grumpy today?" Legolas asked her, and she shot him daggers.

"Look, it's nearing that time of the month so my moods are gonna change a lot," she replied with a shrug.

"That time of the month?" Legolas asked and she almost facepalmed in frustration.

"When a lady bleeds," she said dramatically and Legolas' ears and face reddened. No wander she was grumpy. They were nearing the entrance to the mines, which the Elf was grateful for, no matter how much he didn't like going underground. Glorfindel was more in edge than he, but Legolas lived in the underground palace of Mirkwood so he was slightly more used to it.

Eventually there was no more snow, only mud as they trudged across the land. "Ugh," Charlie groaned, "My shoes are definitely ruined."

They walked below a set of dark looming cliffs, and to the side there was a large and murky lake. "The walls of Moria!" Gimli exclaimed. Clearly he was excited about seeing his cousin. From what Gimli had told everyone the mines didn't seem so bad, and now Dany wanted to go inside and see the splendour of the architecture and taste the rich food, and maybe sleep in a warm bed. "Itidin," Gandalf murmured, "It mirrors only starlight and moonlight,"

That sounded very Elvish to Dany, but she kept her silence. The moon then appeared in the sky and shone on the rock, and then ancient runes could be seen reflecting the light. Charlie's mouth fell open in awe and Gimli chuckled. Gandalf stepped back and looked up at the runes above the door.

"It reads: The door of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter,"

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked curiously.

"It's quite simple," Gandalf answered, "If you are a friend, speak the password and the doors will open."

The wizard then raised his arms and began to chant again. "Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!"

Nothing. Maybe Gandalf's magic wasn't so powerful after all.

"Looks like we'll be here a while," Dany yawned and plopped herself down on a rock. The rest of the Fellowship realised this and the slowly disbanded to sit down.

Gandalf was still trying to open the doors with his spells, but it still wasn't working. Dany looked over to see Aragorn say something to Sam, who looked at him sadly then let Bill the Pony go. She offered the Hobbit a small encouraging smile and he returned it.

Charlie was throwing stones into the lake with Merry and Pippin, trying to find some flat ones to bounce across the surface. "Do not disturb the water," Aragorn warned them. Charlie looked to the water and her mind began to wander about what could be lurking in its depths, and then she shuddered and walked away.

"It's a riddle," said Frodo suddenly. "Speak friend and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?"

Gandalf looked up from his pipe then at the door. "Mellon,"

Then the rock face split in two and began to open, making Dany look up. Merry and Pippin looked happy as they leapt up onto their feet. Dany looked into the darkness and felt her chest constrict. This wasn't what Gimli was talking about.

"Are you alright Dany?" Legolas asked her.

"I- I don't know," Dany replied and turned to face him, "I don't know if I can go in there,"

Legolas smiled at her then stepped closer, holding her hand and intertwining their fingers.

"I will be right by your side," Legolas reassured her and Dany beamed at him, her heart almost exploding with joy.

Charlie gulped. She hated the dark, it was one of her fears, and she felt like shit anyway, having to go in there would just make her feel worse. "Scared of the dark?" Glorfindel teased and she shot him a dirty look.

"Guess you could put it that way," she mumbled. Glorfindel sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "There's nothing to fear, I will protect you."

"Oh my Prince," Charlie pretended to swoon and the Elf chuckled. "Let's get this over and done with,"

The Fellowship plus the three travellers went through the doors and entered the darkness, and soon an unpleasant smell drifted up Charlie's nostrils. Glorfindel sensed it too, for his grip on her shoulders tightened.

"So, master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves; roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call this a mine!" Gimli said to Legolas, "A mine!"

Gandalf muttered something and the end of his staff lit up, and the dark room glowed in the pale light. Dany's eyes were shut and her chest felt heavy and her head pounded, but she felt safe clinging to Legolas. There were gasps around her and she opened her eyes, and to her horror, there were dwarf skeletons scattered across the stone ground.

"This is no mine!" Boromir shouted, "It's a tomb!"

Charlie felt like throwing up.

"Oh no…" Gimli muttered with a thick voice, "Oh no… oh no…"

Legolas ruched forwards and suddenly Dany felt limp, having to steady herself using Pippin. Legolas pulled an arrow from one of the skeletons. "Goblins!" he spat.

Goblins? Now Dany felt sick. Her hand drifted to the hilt of her sword unconsciously.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan!" shouted Boromir, "We should never have come here!"

Charlie whole-heartedly agreed with that statement. A scream made her whip around to see Frodo being dragged back by something, and she almost fainted in shock.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Dany screamed and she unsheathed her sword, suddenly forgetting her fear of being underground. Boromir, Aragorn and Glorfindel rushed forward to help the Hobbit whilst Charlie froze to the spot in fear, not even reaching to grab her bow.

Aragorn severed the tentacle which held Frodo and was about to pull him to safety when it grabbed him again, and with a blood-curdling scream Frodo was suddenly dangling above the monster's mouth. Legolas was firing arrows so quickly and with such precision Dany gasped, then remembered she could help to. She ran forward, only to freeze once she saw how big and scary the thing looked.

"Stay back Dany!" Legolas shouted, and she gulped then ran behind him again. Aragorn hacked at the creature again and Frodo was released, falling into Boromir's arms. Glorfindel had severed many of the tentacles and was now retreating back into the mine, shouting in Elvish as he went.

"Into the mines!" Gandalf shouted and everyone outside began to retreat too.

"Legolas!" the Gondorian shouted, and the Prince fired another arrow into the head of the creature and Aragorn and Frodo hurried into the doorway.

"Move back Dany!" Glorfindel grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards, where Charlie was still frozen. The tentacles came through the door again and Dany screamed when rocks fell over the entrance, enveloping the group in darkness.

_No_, Dany thought to herself, _we can't be trapped._


	11. Chapter 10

"Oh God," Dany choked out, "Oh God…"

Darkness had enveloped the group and only the light from Gandalf's staff remained, but it wasn't the dark Dany was afraid of. "We can't be trapped!" her chest was constricting and she began to shake in fear, she hated being trapped. Dany was scared to go underground because of the shadowing feeling that the ground could collapse over them, and it had done exactly that. Well, sort of, but it was enough to send Dany into despair. Her eyes squeezed shut and she sunk to her knees, clutching her chest and drawing the hood of her cloak over her face. "No no no no…"

Arms then wrapped around her waist and she was pulled into Legolas' chest. "Stay calm," Legolas murmured whilst she shook, "There is nothing to be afraid of," he stroked her hair and she automatically calmed, and listened to Legolas' soothing words. She could hear Charlie drawing shaky breaths behind her, but she blocked them out; she didn't want to feel any worse. A small hand pressed at the small of her back and she turned to see Merry, who offered a reassuring smile to her. She smiled back and Merry stuck by her side.

"Hobbits don't mind being underground. It's heights we don't like," he said to her and she grinned.

"I'm the total opposite," Dany said in a small voice, "I hate being underground but I love heights,"

"Why?" Merry asked. How could anyone like heights? Even the thought of climbing trees made him shudder.

"When I can see stuff around me I feel free. Underground, I feel like the ceiling is going to cave in and bury us, and I also hate rooms without windows," Dany replied, her cheek still nuzzled against Legolas. "I don't like being trapped."

_Mentally and physically, _Legolas mused. He tilted his head down and pressed a kiss to Dany's hair, and his heart sung when her arms around him tightened. Legolas thought back to the night he pondered his feelings when a quiet choking sound interrupted. He looked over to see that Glorfindel was holding Charlie and she looked as though she was about to burst into tears, but she kept herself together. She didn't want to be a burden.

"We now have but one choice" Gandalf said gravely, his voice quieter than usual. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard...there are older and fouler things than the Orcs in the deep places of the world."

Lovely. Dany did not want to think of those things, she felt bad enough.

"Why do you not like the dark?" Glorfindel asked Charlie as he wiped a tear away with his thumb.

"I like being in control of situations. When I can't see anything…" her small voice trailed off.

"You aren't in control," Glorfindel finished for her and Charlie nodded. He understood. Glorfindel was not fond of the dark himself, but his superior eyesight meant that he could see more. The mortals had every reason to be afraid of the dark. "Well, I shall be your eyes," he said reassuringly and Charlie smiled.

"Good, because I'm gonna trip over everything,"

"I'd prefer you not to. Frodo and Dany are bad enough," Glorfindel sighed and Charlie laughed. "Come," the Elf reached out and clasped Charlie's hand. They smiled at each other then followed the rest of the group into the depths of the mines.

* * *

The whole environment made Dany uneasy. The air was thick and dusty, and the smell was very unpleasant. Gimli had reassured her that the Dwarven architecture would ensure the ceiling would not cave in, and so she felt a little more relaxed. The passages Gandalf took them through were dark and twisting, and soon everything began to look the same. Dany yawned and Legolas chuckled next to her.

"What?" she asked irritably.

"Are you tired?"

"Yeah. Last night was terrible," Dany said miserably. "It was cold and the floor was hard and the wind kept me up,"

"I did not sleep either,"

"Well _you _don't need sleep, however, _I _do," Dany retorted. Legolas pulled on her arm and brought her closer to his side, out of the way of more skeletons which had weapons protruding from them. Dany had not noticed them and so he kept quiet, he didn't want to scare her even more.

"Stop being grumpy," Legolas teased and Dany rolled her eyes.

"I told you yesterday why me and Charlie were grumpy," she said and Legolas cringed slightly.

"Ugh, and now I'm starting to get pains," Dany groaned and began to rub her lower stomach. "Please not now, we're in a fucking mine."

Legolas frowned. "Pains? Is it the Ring?"

"No," Dany snapped, "When I, uh, bleed, I get pain like mostly every other woman,"

"Does it hurt?"

"Like shit it does!"

"I will go and see if Aragorn has something," Legolas said and excused himself.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" Dany cried and rushed forward, only to trip over a skeleton's foot. "Ow!" she exclaimed as she fell onto her knees. "Jesus fucking Christ," she cursed and she could hear Charlie chuckle. "This is not a laughing matter!" she snapped. Her sword dug uncomfortably into her shin so she pulled herself up and adjusted her rucksack. "Stupid fucking mine…" she muttered and she brushed dirt off her jeans.

"Legolas mentioned you had pains?" Aragorn asked her and Dany looked up.

"Well, yeah…" Dany said quietly and Aragorn raised his eyebrow.

"So where is the wound?"

"Not a wound exactly," Dany told him and the Ranger frowned, "Y'know, 'lady pains'. I don't need anything, I've had them for the past eleven years. I'll be fine,"

Aragorn raised an eyebrow again and chuckled. He beckoned for her to carry on walking and they fell into step together. "One of the things I have learnt from mortal women is that they almost always under-exaggerate pain," Aragorn mused while they walked.

"Almost always?"

"Almost always. Especially when they are 'lady pains'," he answered and Dany laughed. "Tell me, what does it feel like?"

"It feels like somebody has reached into my gut and is rearranging my organs," Dany said and Aragorn chuckled.

"If there isn't a wound there is not much I can do," he said softly and Dany nodded.

"I know. Wish I had pills with me,"

"Pills?"

"Painkillers. Have different chemicals in them to balance other chemicals to lessen the pain," Dany shrugged. "But all we have are tic tacs. Where's Legolas?"

"At the front, we need him up there for the next bit," Aragorn smiled at her enquiry. It was plain to see that Legolas had a soft spot for the mortal and vice versa.

"Oh,"

"Don't look so disheartened, we will be stopping soon," the Ranger teased.

"Good. It feels like we've been walking for hours,"

"We have,"

"Well my body clock has finally broken," Dany sighed and the man laughed. They rounded a corner and saw that the group had stopped. "What's going on?"

Gandalf turned around and smiled. "Ah! There you are," the wizard exclaimed, "And we have a small problem."

Dany peered over Boromir's shoulder and gulped. There was a small stone bridge, barely half a foot across, going over an extremely large and almost bottomless pit. Her shoe scuffed a small pebble and it went over the edge, then there was no sound. "Je-sus," Dany breathed, "And we're going across it?"

"Oh Heavens no," Gandalf said sharply and Dany let out a sigh of relief, "There is another way," and he raised his staff in the direction of a small path cut into the wall going around the pit. It too was barely half a foot across and Dany's eyes widened. She would rather go across the bridge; there would be a bigger success rate. Merry looked over the edge of the pit and gulped.

"I'll go across the wall," he said quickly and stepped back. All of the Hobbits agreed and so did Gimli, apparently he wasn't too fond of heights either.

Charlie shuffled around to Dany and looked at her pleadingly. "Bridge?"

"Bridge. Better centre of gravity," Dany replied and Charlie nodded.

"Strider?" Frodo asked Aragorn. The Ranger looked over the bridge then at the Hobbit.

"I would rather go across the bridge, but I will use the wall with you," the man replied and Frodo beamed. _He's a nice guy,_ Dany thought to herself. Boromir, Legolas and Glorfindel elected to go across the pit and Gandalf chose to go around it to help the Hobbits, separating the Fellowship into two almost equal groups.

"It will take us longer to go around," Gandalf told Legolas and Boromir, "There is an antechamber not far from here where you can wait." The elf and the man nodded. Boromir walked up to the beginning of the bridge.

"Does anyone else want to go first?" Boromir asked almost pleadingly, but nobody volunteered. Dany chuckled and Boromir grinned before stepping onto the stone, his arms outstretched like a tight-rope walker and he began to walk across. The remaining four looked at each other before Dany volunteered to go across next with Legolas behind her in case she slipped.

"Better get this over with," she sighed and stepped onto it. Legolas had offered to carry her sword and she accepted, any weight at her side could easily make her fall. Dany had wanted to crawl over it at first but it was simply too narrow to go on her hands and knees, leaving her with no choice but to grit her teeth and walk across.

The prospect of closing her eyes appealed to her but she dared not, instead she looked straight ahead to keep her balance, and she outstretched her arms like Boromir. Legolas was right behind her, having no trouble, and he knew better than to talk and distract her. However, Boromir couldn't resist.

"You are doing well Dany, just go to the left a little bit," Boromir teased once he had reached the other side.

"You're gonna make me fall you bastard," Dany hissed and both the Elf behind her and the man in front of her laughed, putting her off even more.

"You look like Indiana Jones!" Charlie called behind her. This made Dany look turn around and she flipped her middle finger up at her best friend who laughed, but now Dany had lost her concentration. "Damn," she whispered and she looked down. There was nothing but black below the stone and she squeezed her eyes shut to provide some comfort (but it didn't really help), and suddenly her feet wouldn't move. Legolas sensed this and edged forward slightly to provide aid.

"Just relax," Legolas murmured in her ear and his hands went to her waist, one of them still holding her sword, and she almost gasped at the contact.

"I can't," she choked. "I'm so trapped…"

"You aren't trapped," Legolas said sternly. "Take deep breaths and allow me to help you." He slowly began to nudge her forward and her feet began to work again at a snail's pace, then she opened her eyes again. She was halfway across the bridge already and she could see Boromir ahead. She quickened her steps and in less than five minutes she was across, breathing heavily and laughing slightly.

"Shit, that was terrifying!" Dany put her hand over her heart. Legolas chuckled, gave Dany her sword and Boromir apologised for distracting her. "No worries. Charlie would have done it anyway, the little shit," Dany spat and Boromir broke out into hearty laughter. "But being the amazing friend I am I won't do it to her."

Charlie was taking small but steady steps, one foot in front of the other, and in five minutes she and Glorfindel had crossed over. "It will take the others longer to go around," Boromir declared. "Where did Gandalf say the antechamber was?"

"He said it was not far from here, but he did not give details," Legolas replied, a tinge of worry in his voice.

"Well that's great," Charlie mumbled and Glorfindel smirked.

"Yeah, totally a-fucking okay,"

"Please mind your language Dany,"

"No."

Legolas rolled his eyes and Dany chuckled, then he couldn't contain the smile that spread across his face. "I think it would be best if two of us find the antechamber and three stay so we don't all get lost," Glorfindel suggested and Boromir's brow creased in thought.

"Well that is logical, but if we all got lost together it would be funny as fuck," said Dany and Boromir laughed.

"I agree. Sort of," Charlie frowned, "We don't know what's in here, it would be best if we stayed together."

Boromir, Legolas and Glorfindel all nodded. "So be it. Where shall we start?"

* * *

Finding the antechamber had not been too difficult. Well, yeah, it had been. First they went the wrong way and followed a very narrow corridor with an extremely low ceiling for a quarter of an hour, almost to the point where they were practically dragging themselves along the floor with their elbows.

"I don't think we are going the right way," Legolas called from the back. Boromir, who was leading them for some reason, stopped.

"Yes, well I see that _now_." He huffed, "Everybody turn around,"

"We can't," Charlie said, "It's too narrow."

With many groans they began to crawl backwards. At one point Legolas stopped and Dany's backside went straight into his face, causing him to gasp and for the mortal to guffaw with laughter. After another quarter of an hour of shuffling backwards they were out, and everyone was grateful to be able to stand.

"This is why I hate being underground," Dany told them and everyone agreed. She looked up to Legolas and smiled when she saw dirt had been smudged across his face and some of his hair was out of place. She was sure she looked a thousand times worse but that didn't stop the laugh escape her mouth.

"What?" the Elf asked irritably.

"You've- you've got a little something on your face," she said with a grin whilst pointing to her own cheek. Legolas' hand flew up to the side of his face, making the dirt smudge even more. "You're making it worse!" Dany giggled and Legolas sighed.

"I care not,"

"Yes you do," Dany teased, and then she brought her hand to her forehead and gasped. "My face! Dirt has invaded my fair Elven complexion! This has not happened for a near thousand years! Oh, what am I to do?" she swooned and Legolas couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

"Come, I think it is this way," Boromir pointed to another passageway.

"Should we follow you? I mean we got lost last time…" Charlie jested and the man rolled his eyes. Dany had begun to laugh again, and then felt the all-too-familiar trickle between her legs.

"Oh damn, not now!" she groaned. "Charlie!"

"Now? Really?"

"Yes really!" With another irritated sigh Dany grabbed Charlie's hand and pulled her into the corridor they just exited for some privacy. "Should we pull our supplies together?" Dany asked whilst she rummaged through her supplies. "I've got three tampons and three pads,"

Charlie looked through her bag, "Three tampons, two pads," she looked at Dany, "And I'm starting soon too,"

"Well we're fucked."

"Yep," Charlie popped the 'p', "You should change, I'll go tell the others we will be ready in a few mins. I'd wear the pad if I were you."

Charlie left Dany to shimmy out of her jeans and change her underwear and put a pad on. She zipped up her bag and sighed, brushed dirt off her jeans and re-joined the group.

"All is well?" Boromir asked her and she nodded. "Good."

They followed the man through an archway and Glorfindel drifted to the front with Legolas at the back. The air was mustier and the ground was damper, making Charlie's shoes stick slightly. Her eyes barely made out the outlines of more skeletons that littered the passageway, arrows sticking out of the skulls and ribcages. Charlie looked away and cringed when she felt something crunch beneath her feet. Dany spluttered behind her when their feet disturbed dust laying on the floor, and even Legolas had to cough slightly to rid the dust that settled at the back of his throat.

"Ah, this must be the antechamber," said Boromir and Glorfindel sighed in relief. The room had some light coming through a large hole in the ceiling where water dripped down to make a murky puddle on the floor, and the soft patter of the drops were music to Charlie's ears. Not two minutes after they arrived the rest of the Fellowship entered the room and frowned when they saw the dirt all over Boromir, Glorfindel, Legolas, Charlie and Dany.

"What happened to you?" Aragorn asked. He too had dirt on his hands and on the knees of his leggings, but not nearly as much as the others.

"Went the wrong way," Charlie shrugged quickly and Gandalf chuckled.

"We shall stop here for the night, I think we are all in need of rest," the wizard mumbled and the hobbits and women sighed in relief.

"Thank the Lord!" Dany exclaimed and she collapsed onto the floor. The night was going to be a cold one without the fire so she put on her extra tunic for warmth then zipped up her jacket.

"Can anyone guess what we're having for dinner tonight?" Sam joked as he set down his pack.

"Lembas!" everyone cried in unison, then began to laugh. Glorfindel broke off a piece and handed one to Dany who thanked him. She bit into the bread and it crumbled pleasantly in her mouth, it certainly made a change from apples.

"How long are we in here?" Charlie asked and she looked through the hole in the ceiling, her eyes adjusting to the new light.

"Four days." Gandalf had lit his pipe again and smoke lazily drifted to the darkening sky. "I suggest we sleep now, I would like to rise early tomorrow so we can leave Moria quicker."

Dany agreed with him whole-heartedly and rubbed her eyes, hoping that she hadn't leaked through. "G'night everyone," she yawned and pulled a blanket around her, resting her head on her pack. She was absolutely knackered and fell asleep almost instantly, the sound of the others talking quietly eventually drowned out and the last thing she saw through half closed eyes was Legolas, smiling at her sweetly.

* * *

"_Mum! Dad!" the woman cried. "I'm home!" she set her keys on the hallway table and shrugged off her coat. "Hello?"_

_Suddenly the scenery changed and she dropped to her knees on what looked like a dried up lake. _

_Black smoke swarmed around her and she blindly stumbled across the dry, cracked ground, glowing embers of fire floated down towards her, yet they did not burn. The smell of burning flesh drifted up her nostrils and made her gag, and the sound of a distinct screeching made her cover her ears. _

"_Mum! Dad!" There was no reply, only the sharp crackling of a fire could be heard. "Hello?" _

_A silhouette then moved against the smoke, and Dany ran towards it, her eyes watering. "Help me!" she shouted desperately and the figure turned around. They were shrouded in black and a hood covered their face, and Dany's stomach started doing flips. With pale hands the figure removed their hood and the woman gulped._

_Eyes as red as fire stared back at her with a mischievous glint, and the handsome dark-haired man had a sly grin upon his face. Still grinning, the man turned to face her fully and he began to speak._

"_Valar morghulis, valar dohaeris," the figure spoke with a deep gravelly voice which made Dany shiver. Though it was a foreign language, Dany understood every word._

"_All men must serve, all men must die." she whispered softly, then the figure erupted into flames. Dany's heart beat a mile a minute as it morphed into a large red eye, blinked at her twice then disappeared, a trail of black smoke left in its place. A magnificent red and black dragonling was nestled amongst the ashes and it raised its majestic head at her and hissed. For some reason, Dany crept forward; somehow she was drawn to it. The dragon's eyes glowed like embers amongst the ink black of its scales, and Dany kept ever closer, holding out her hand._

_Her eyes watered ever more but the smoke began to clear. The dragon nuzzled her hand and the scales were warm and a comfort to her skin, then the dragon clambered into her lap, almost purring. _

"_Dany!" A clear, feminine voice called out and Dany turned to see the Queen of Vana. "Do not succumb to it!"_

_The dragon reared its beautiful head and hissed at the Vanerian Elf, who took no notice. "Do not fall victim to it like so many others!" _

"_Do not listen to her," the mysterious man from earlier was suddenly by her side. "Valar morghulis, valar dohaeris…"_

_The words rung in Dany's head, all while she stroked the scales of the dragon in her lap. "Do not listen to him!" the Queen screamed, but then she was gone. The figure next to her flashed a knowing smile before he too disappeared. The dragon in her lap clambered off her and stretched its majestic wings, the scales catching the light and glinting in the warm sun. It opened its mouth to reveal a set of pearly white fangs and it hissed again, making Dany shiver. "What are-"_

_But before she could say anymore ruby red fire shot out of its mouth and engulfed her. Dany screamed as white hot pain shot across her skin, yet she did not burn. She felt the fire run through her veins and power pulsed inside her chest, replacing the weight that had settled there for the past few weeks. She screamed and screamed until her voice was hoarse but the fire kept licking up her body, and slowly the pain disappeared. Her skin was raw and bloody and her hair had been singed to her jaw and soot settled around her. She did not care that she was naked and glistening with sweat, then she walked barefoot to the dragon and stroked its head again, power coursing through her as she ached to spill blood._

* * *

"Wake up Dany!" Charlie desperately tried to shake her friend awake. In the early hours of the morning, when everyone was asleep, she had started to thrash in her sleep, muttering incoherent words. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead and her eyes fluttered beneath her lids, but still Dany didn't stir. Legolas was trying to soothe her while Gandalf and Aragorn tried to wake her.

"Hēnkos vējose hae Vana Vali botilza," she muttered in her sleep whilst thrashing around. "Kesir gīmī…kesir gīmī…kesir gīmī…"

"What's she saying?" Pippin asked with a frown on his face.

"Mumbo jumbo," Charlie replied.

"Is that a language?"

"No, it's a term for someone speaking rubbish," Charlie snapped, but Gandalf had a grave look upon his face.

"What is it Mithrandir?" Aragorn asked. Gandalf looked up at him with wide eyes, then at Glorfindel.

"It means you must make haste to Lothlórien," he whispered to the Elf.

"Mithrandir!" Legolas cried, his eyes were wide and then they travelled down to his hands, which were streaked with blood. Glorfindel pushed the elf aside and crouched beside Dany.

"What is this?" Glorfindel spat. Two blood tear tracks ran down from Dany's tear ducts, the crimson contrast was hauntingly beautiful against Dany's now pale face.

"Move!" Gandalf shouted and he pushed a startled Aragorn out of the way. Charlie's bottom lip was quivering and Glorfindel took her hand, nudging her towards the Hobbits and Gimli who were huddled away from Dany. Legolas stayed by the mortal's side. Gandalf's fingertips pressed against Dany's temples as he mumbled, and then Dany's eyes shot open and she bolted upright into Legolas' arms, screaming.

"DRACARYS!" she shouted, crying more blood. She collapsed back into the Elf's arms as she began to shake violently.

"Hush, you are safe," Legolas soothed. Gandalf looked at her blood-streaked face and lightly touched her cheek.

"Oh child… this is most curious," the wizard whispered, "Why _are _you here?"

* * *

Dany was very shaken after the night terror. The blood that had seeped from her tear ducts had scared her greatly, even more so after Aragorn checked her over and concluded that nothing indicated that something was wrong. And who was the creepy guy in her dream, and the flaming red eye? How could she speak a language she had never heard of?

It was their fourth and last day in the mines, and everyone was looking forward to getting out into the open air. Everyone was quieter, even the Hobbits, and nobody spoke of Dany's nightmare, to which she was grateful to.

Charlie was by Glorfindel's side again whilst Gandalf led the way. The heavy weight in her chest had blossomed over the past few days and the Elf was aware of this, but he said nothing. Charlie looked behind her to see Dany blindly stumbling along with Legolas beside her, she constantly had a distant look on her face and her eyes were blank. She just wanted to go home.

"Dany?" Legolas asked.

Dany's eyes tore away from the wall and she looked up."Hm?"

"Are you alright?" Legolas was very concerned for her well-being.

"Uh, yeah." Dany replied hastily, but her eyes told another story. They continued up a steep staircase to a platform where three tunnels split off into darkness, and Gandalf stopped. He looked around, confused, before he spoke.

"I have no memory of this place." He frowned. Dany sighed and sat down far away from the group and started flipping a coin in the air. Charlie looked at her in concern then sat beside Glorfindel, who was also eyeing Dany. Legolas stood watch while the group sat in silence.

"Are we lost?" Pippin asked suddenly.

"No, I don't think we are," Merry replied, "Shh, Gandalf's thinking!"

Pippin frowned. "Merry!"

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

Merry sighed in annoyance, but then Frodo heard something in the shadows. He looked down to see a creature scurry up rocks and dart between them, and he stood up to see Gandalf.

"There's something down there," the Hobbit whispered.

"It's Gollum," Gandalf murmured and Frodo frowned.

"Gollum," he spat.

"He's been following us for three days,"

"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dur?" Frodo asked.

"Escaped, or was set loose. And now the Ring has drawn him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. Smeagol's life is a sad story."

Frodo looked up at the wizard in disbelief.

"Yes, Smeagol he was once called, before the Ring came to him, before it drove him mad,"

Frodo looked down to rocks and saw the creature creep closer. "It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance," the Hobbit said with disgust.

Dany eventually tuned out of the conversation and stared into the middle distance. Everything was just confusing, _why _was she here?

Gandalf had been reluctant to tell her anything about her dream, and after a day she gave up on trying to get answers. The Hobbits and Gimli did not come close to her, as if they were scared, which upset Dany. Even Charlie didn't go near her. She looked at the fifty pence piece in her hand and flipped it over using her fingers, letting the light of Gandalf's staff reflect off the silver. She had not slept well in days and her eyes began to droop, but she didn't want to succumb to sleep. She didn't want nightmares.

"Ah! It's that way!" Gandalf exclaimed happily and Dany smiled.

"He's remembered!" Merry cried and he leapt up.

"No, but the air doesn't smell do foul down there," Gandalf replied and he walked over to the right hand tunnel. "If in doubt Meriadoc, always follow your nose!"

Legolas held out his hand for Dany and she gratefully took it, and they followed the wizard down the steps. "Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf murmured and his staff glowed brighter, illuminating the room they found themselves in. "Behold, The great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!"

Charlie looked up and gasped at the large carved columns that rose to the ceiling, and let her eyes wander across the smooth, glassy walls and floor. She glanced over at Gimli, who was standing proud, and wondered how beings as small as he could create such wonderful architecture.

"Well, there's an eye opener and no mistake!" Sam chuckled and Charlie grinned at the Hobbit. Suddenly Gimli rushed ahead to a set of heavy wooden doors.

"Gimli!" Gandalf shouted, but the dwarf had already entered the vast chamber. The group followed him and saw that a large slab of white stone had been placed in middle of the room, and it looked like…

"No! Oh no…" Gimli cried and he fell to his knees. Gandalf passed him and read the inscription on the rock.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf read and Charlie felt sorry for Gimli, "It's as I feared then."

A strange feeling began to build up in Dany's stomach and she frowned. Something wasn't right. "We must move on, we cannot linger," Legolas whispered harshly to Aragorn. Gandalf had plucked a heavy and rotting book from a dwarf skeleton on the floor and blew the dust off it, then read.

"They have taken the Bridge and the second hall, we have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes, drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no-one save us? They are coming."

Dany shivered and Legolas went to her side. Pippin wandered to a well and carefully touched a skeleton that was balanced precariously on the edge, and then with a cracking sound the skeleton tumbled into the well. Everyone froze as it fell with a terrible crash to the bottom, echoing as it went. Dany winced and gripped Legolas' hand tighter. When there was no other sound everyone moved slowly in relief before Gandalf rounded on the Hobbit.

"Fool of a Took!" the wizard snapped, "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

Charlie bit her lip to keep from smiling; Gandalf could be sassy when he wanted to be. Then a low rumbling sound rose from the depths of the caverns below, making Charlie's breath hitch in her throat. Dany's hand flew to the hilt of her sword and she looked sideways at Legolas, and the Elf could see the fear in her eyes.

"Drums…" Dany whispered and Legolas nodded. A horn sounded and then another, and Dany felt herself freeze again.

"Only fight when you have to, stay close to Charlie," Legolas hissed and Dany nodded.

"Mr Frodo!" Sam cried and his eyes glanced at the sword Frodo had, which was glowing blue.

"Orcs!" Legolas shouted.

"Get back!" Aragorn told the Hobbits, "And stay close to Gandalf!"

Charlie had frozen the spot again and Dany rushed forward to take her and and yank her behind the stone slab. Glorfindel and Legolas threw spears, lances and axes at the men who barricaded the heavy doors. Boromir looked out of the door then jumped back suddenly, then turned around.

"They have a cave troll," he said almost sardonically.

"Dany, help Charlie!" Glorfindel replied. Dany nodded and turned to her friend who had not made a sound.

"Oi Charlie! You gotta help me out here!" Dany yanked Charlie's face towards her own. "You gotta stay calm!" Charlie nodded and reached behind her to notch an arrow in her bow.

"I have to warn you," Charlie gulped, "Fighting is not my forte,"

"I know that," Dany snorted and Charlie laughed nervously. Gimli leapt onto the white slab and growled.

"Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

The door then began to heave and the sounds of the goblins and orcs behind the wood made Charlie feel sick. Holes were quickly made and spears and swords poked through, but Legolas and Aragorn fired arrows through them. Dany's heart thundered in her chest and her hands began to tremble. Then in a shower of splinters of wood the door burst open and hideous creatures swarmed into the chamber, they smelled putrid and they were wielding poorly made swords and axes. "MOVE CHARLIE!" Dany screamed and pushed her friend behind a column. Charlie watched on in horror as Glorfindel sliced at the orcs with his sword and Gimli embedded his axe into skulls, and soon the room was filled with the sounds of splintering bone and the ripping of flesh.

"AH!" Charlie screamed as a goblin appeared before her. Its skin was black and peeling and its eyes were dark, and its teeth were rotting as it opened its mouth and snarled. Dany then jumped in front of the creature when it pulled back to swing its axe and she slashed the creature's throat with her blade, and dark, warm blood splattered across her face and the floor. Dany was breathing heavily when she watched it gargle on its own blood and the light left the goblin's eyes and it sunk to the floor, clutching at its throat.

"Stay back Charlie!" Dany shouted as another goblin appeared, but this time wielding a sword. Dany kicked the little bugger in the chest and it was knocked backwards, but kept its footing. It growled and ran at her with the sword held out in front of it.

_Ok, think Dany. It's wearing full body armour, but where is it vulnerable where you can kill it with one blow? _

Dany stepped out of the way and the goblin ran past her, then she stuck her sword under its helmet and pushed forward using her weight, severing its spinal cord and it dropped to the floor, dead. An almighty roar sounded and Dany looked up to see a large troll lumbering into the room, swinging a large club. "STICK A WAND UP ITS FUCKING NOSE!" she shouted and Charlie laughed unexpectedly. Glorfindel shot her a puzzling look before he and Aragorn went towards it. The troll growled then swung its club at Aragorn, but Boromir sliced into its arm and it howled in pain.

Sam was busy hitting goblins over the head with his saucepan and Glorfindel rushed over to help Charlie.

"Aragorn!" Frodo shouted as the troll lumbered towards him. Dany stabbed another very small goblin and the thing slashed at her arm with a dagger in its last attempt to kill her. The dagger cut her arm and Dany hissed in pain, but it was not deep. Legolas had climbed up to a platform and was firing arrows at the troll while jumping over the chain the troll was attached to.

"LEGOLAS! GLORFINDEL!" Dany screamed and Charlie notched an arrow and fired at a goblin near her. It missed and the thing slashed at Charlie's lower stomach, but Dany pulled her backwards. The goblin snorted and Charlie shakily lifted up her shirt to reveal a long cut across her stomach, at least half a centimetre deep. Charlie cried out in pain as Dany's hand tenderly touched it, and her fingers became slick with blood. Charlie and Gandalf looked on in horror as Dany licked the ends of her fingers. "DANY? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Charlie shouted but her words fell on deaf ears. Dany's mind clouded, and then a blazing sensation awoke in Dany's chest. It was like her dream; it felt as though flames licked up her arms and fire ran through her veins, giving her power as she had never felt it before. Bloodlust took over her brain as her core ached to spill blood, blood that belonged in the creatures that hurt her friends and killed her ancient kin.

"Nyke Daniella hen Aeratail Uēpo Lentrot, hen Vana Uēpo ānogār iksan," Dany spat, "Riñe jemot raqiros ōdrikātās!"

The language sounded like liquid and was strangely beautiful amongst the carnage, and everyone listened, including the orcs.

The goblin looked at her, confused, and then squeaked in surprise when she leapt forward, blind hatred in her eyes. She slashed and beheaded the creature, and an arc of dark blood flew through the air, splattering both women.

"By the Valar…" Gandalf murmured. Legolas tore his eyes away from the mortal and the troll's chain wrapped around a pillar, giving Legolas the chance to leap across and jump on the troll's back. He fired an arrow in its head and the creature stumbled around and howled, then Legolas leapt off again. The chain snapped and the troll urged violently to the side, grabbing for the Hobbits.

"FRODO!" Aragorn shouted. Glorfindel rushed to Charlie's side and inspected her wound.

"I'll be alright," Charlie said through gritted teeth, "But Dany's gone crazy,"

Glorfindel glanced at the mortal, who was spitting Vanerian words whilst slashing and stabbing at the goblins. She had been an alright fighter before today, but now she was a deadly warrior. What had happened to her?

Frodo hid behind a pillar and Aragorn rushed to try and reach him, killing goblins along the way. But the Troll had grabbed Frodo's ankle and dragged him along the floor. "ARAGORN! ARAGORN!" the frightened Hobbit cried. Aragorn leapt in front of the toll and thrust a spear into its chest while Merry and Pippin threw rocks at its head, and the troll howled in pain again. Charlie screamed when it threw Aragorn against a wall and he fell to the floor unconscious.

"Help him!" Charlie cried at Glorfindel, but the Elf shook his head. "Why not? He's going to die!"

"My duty is to protect _you_," Glorfindel snapped and pulled her up. "I will not leave you alone."

Charlie turned just in time to see Dany impale two goblins with one spear. She felt tears well up in her eyes; her friend had turned into a monster.

A scream made everyone turn around and the troll stabbed Frodo with a trident, and the hobbit slumped to the floor with a groan. The Hobbits screamed in anger and Sam slashed at the troll's knees, and then Pippin and Merry leapt onto its back. Dany paid no attention, but Legolas fired another arrow and the troll toppled to the floor, dead. Aragorn had regained consciousness and rushed to Frodo's side.

All was silent, and Charlie was sure Frodo was dead, but then the Hobbit began to cough.

"He's alive!" Sam cried happily. Happiness swelled in Charlie's chest and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm alright," Frodo panted, "I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead, that spear would've skewered a wild boar!" Aragorn said to the Hobbit. Gandalf walked and stood behind Aragorn.

"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye."

Frodo's fingers pulled apart his shirt to reveal a glistening vest of chainmail.

"Mithril!" Gimli gasped, "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!"

"Dany," a comforting hand rested on Dany's shoulder. Her blade was now crooked from being smashed against armour and she was breathing heavily, and her sword clattered to the floor. Her hands were slick with goblin blood and when she turned Legolas saw that blood had spattered across her face in little spots. The power that had coursed through her veins was now only a slight thrum, and when she saw the carnage that surrounded her she gulped.

"Wh-what have I done?" she whispered with wide eyes. Legolas was just as confused as she was and did not answer. Her hands were shaking and Legolas clasped her wrists to try and stop it, and when the Elf saw how frightened she looked and how her lip began to quiver, his heart broke.

"Oh Dany…" Legolas murmured and tears began to form in her eyes. She brought her shaking hand to gently stroke his cheek. Legolas did not care that she smeared blood across his cheekbone and only lightly kissed her palm. The corner of Dany's mouth lifted as warmth spread through her fingers; it wasn't the fire that had been there a few minutes ago, but a pleasant thing which she had never felt before and could not begin to describe.

The rumbling began again and Gandalf whipped around.

"To the bridge of Khazad-dum!"

Legolas' face fell and Dany gulped again. "Come," he said softly and she nodded, and the group rushed from the chamber and across the great hall. Dany could now feel the stinging cut on her arm and she clutched onto Legolas' arm to keep herself steady. Charlie was clinging onto to Glorfindel and her arm was wrapped around her midriff, where blood was soaking through her top.

Goblins began to scuttle like cockroaches down the columns and the sound of their gravelly voices and clanging armour made Dany feel queasy. There were so many of them! Boromir suddenly stopped in front of her and Legolas wrapped his arms around her waist to stop her from flying to the floor; they were trapped.

Charlie had no strength left and her legs felt numb, and she was sure the Goblins were going to swarm around them, but then a deafening roar rumbled through the hall. She looked up from lidded eyes to see a fiery light at the other end of the hall which sent shivers down her spine. The goblins around them froze and scuttled away in fear. Glorfindel gripped her ever tighter and he drew his great sword, and a muscle in his jaw twitched.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir breathed.

Then a large, dark shadow surrounded by flame fell across the hall and made the ground beneath their feet shake.

"A Balrog…" Gandalf whispered and Glorfindel cursed. "A demon of the ancient world! This foe is beyond any of you! Run! Quickly!"

"No need to tell me twice," Dany mumbled as everyone bolted for the door.

"I can help!" Glorfindel hissed to the wizard, but he shook his head.

"Nay, we cannot lose you to this demon again," Gandalf hastily replied. "Charlie cannot lose you!"

_Again?_ Charlie asked herself, but then they started running again. Her legs struggled to keep up; she felt so lightheaded from blood loss…

"Stay with me Charlie," Glorfindel whispered desperately in her ear.

Boromir rushed forward and almost toppled over a cliff but Legolas caught him and pulled the man backwards, knocking Dany to her feet so they were all on the floor. Dany glanced at the Elf to see that blood had been smeared across his cheek, chest, arms and hands, and it was certainly her doing. The Elf pulled her to her feet and they continued running down the rocky steps, then they came to a stairway with no barriers at the side.

"Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near," Gandalf said to the man, who looked at him in confusion. "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here!"

They raced down the stairway where there was a large gap, and everyone stopped. Legolas let go of Dany's arm and she suddenly felt naked, and he leapt across gracefully. He opened his arms and Dany looked down into the shadow below, feeling very dizzy. Glorfindel leapt across with Charlie in his arms but Dany hesitated.

"Jump Dany!" Legolas shouted with outstretched arms, "I will catch you!"

Dany looked at his pleading face then gulped and jumped. Time seemed to slow down while she flew through the air, but then arms caught around her waist and set her down. Boromir jumped across with Pippin and Merry and Aragorn was about to throw Gimli when the dwarf refused.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf!" he spat and jumped, but fell short and Legolas had to grab his beard to save him. "Not the beard!"

Dany snorted then felt something whizz past her, grazing the outer shell. "What the fuck?"

Arrows were flying towards them and Dany swore again. Legolas notched arrow after arrow and sent them towards the goblins which lined higher platforms, and one by one they dropped. Another rumbling sound made Dany turn around to see the staircase creep forward and smash into the one they were standing on, making her lose her footing and almost swan-dive off the platform. They ran recklessly across the Bridge of Kazad-dum; Charlie was barely conscious so Glorfindel had to carry her bridal style as they pressed her spare tunic against her wound.

Dany looked on in awe as Gandalf turned towards the Balrog and raise his staff and sword. The creature was aflame and held a whip in one hand, which cracked mercilessly against the air.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf shouted.

Frodo wrenched himself from Aragorn's grasp. "Gandalf!"

"I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor!" Gandalf shouted at the creature, and Dany felt her blood freeze when the Balrog looked at Gandalf. It looked like a Minotaur, except it was forty times bigger and… on fire.

"The Dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!"

The Balrog put one foot on the bridge and spread its large wings, drawing itself up to is full height. "Go back to the shadow!"

The Balrog slashed at Gandalf but the wizard met it with his sword in an echoing clash, and the Balrog's sword shattered into the darkness.

"You shall not pass!" Gandalf boomed. He drew up his staff, and with all the strength he could muster, he thumped the bridge with his staff and blinding white light made Dany turn her head away. There was an almighty howl and she tilted her head to see the Balrog fall to the shadow below, and a wave of relief rushed over her. Gandalf turned and walked away, but a crack of a whip made Dany cringe, and the tip wrapped around the wizard's ankle, dragging him to the edge.

"GANDALF!" Frodo screamed. Dany wanted to scream too but her mouth was suddenly dry.

"Fly, you fools!" Gandalf shouted, and then he was gone.

"NOOOO!" Frodo cried and Dany felt anger swell inside her again. Gandalf was gone… he was gone… fire began to bubble in her veins but a light touch to her cheek made her turn towards Legolas, who had a frightened look on his face. All anger disappeared and she leapt into his arms as he hurried them both out of the mines and into the open air, and Dany began to sob. Frodo was screaming and kicking in Boromir's arms as the man carried him out.

Dany looked up to Legolas with parted lips, and tears stung her eyes. She looked down at the blood that coated her arms and she choked, then tears began to fall from her eyes. Legolas' calloused fingers brushed the tears away and she gazed into his eyes, which were full of hurt and despair. His sizzling touch made her nestle her cheek further into his hand and he kept it there, bringing Dany into his chest as he murmured soothing words in Elvish.

_How could this happen?_

* * *

The Vanerian Dany speaks in this chapter is actually High Valyrian from Game of Thrones which, if we write a sequel, will link to another story *wink wink*

And we might change the rating to M for some darker stuff that will come in the next few chapters (no lemons, sorry!)

This is not entirely accurate, we had to change a few words here and there, but these are the translations:

Hēnkos vējose hae Vana vali botilza: Men will suffer the same fate as Vana

Kesir gīmī: you know this

Dracarys: dragonfire

Nyke Daniella hen Aeratail Uēpo Lentrot, hen Vana Uēpo ānogār iksan: I am Daniella of the Old House Aeratail, of the blood of Old Vana.

Riñe jemot raqiros ōdrikātās!: harm no friend of mine! (very, very roughly)


	12. Chapter 11

Charlie slowly opened her eyes, blinking in the bright light that burned her eyes. Her midriff was throbbing whilst she held the green blood-soaked tunic against herself, and one of Glorfindel's arms was still locked around her waist. She looked up at him, and his bright blue eyes were full of sadness. "Wh-where's Gandalf?" she asked quietly and her lip trembled.

"He fell," Glorfindel whispered and his voice cracked slightly. She turned back towards the mines where Gimli had to be restrained by Boromir to keep him from running inside again. The Hobbits were on the stone ground, crying, and Legolas was holding Dany in his arms. A bird crowed up ahead and the breeze rustled the leaves of nearby trees.

"He's dead?"

Glorfindel nodded and Charlie felt her chest constrict. A lump formed in her throat and she felt a tear slip from her eyes, and it rolled down her cheek and fell to the ground.

"Legolas! Glorfindel! Get them up," Aragorn called urgently. Charlie looked at the Ranger, confused, but then she went to help the Hobbits.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake," Boromir pleaded.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlórien," Aragorn replied, "Come; Boromir, Legolas, Glorfindel, get them up!"

Dany pulled away from Legolas' embrace and he smiled softly at her, and then wiped a stray tear away with his thumb.

"Frodo! Frodo!" the Ranger shouted at the Hobbit. Frodo turned around with a look of numb shock upon his face, and a tear rolled down his cheek, and Dany felt another wave of tears come over her.

Legolas placed his hand at the small of her back and gently nudged her forward. Dany blindly grasped his hand and held it tight whilst they walked across the stony ground. Charlie winced with every step she took and Glorfindel worried if she had got an infection from the Mines, but Gandalf wasn't there to advise him.

Aragorn led the eerily silent group across the land, but it was strange having someone other than Gandalf leading them. Dany's mind did not clear.

How had she been capable of causing such destruction? How could she speak a language she didn't know? And who was that man in her dream?

Dany looked down at the blood that had dried on her arms and began to scratch it off. It was so damn _itchy_. She shrugged off her rucksack and rummaged through it to find her mirror and makeup wipes which she had been saving. Dany began to violently scrub off the blood until the wipe was completely black and her skin was raw and pink.

"Stupid… won't come off…" she muttered as she continued to violently scrub her arm. "Get off! Get off!" her shaking hand dropped the wipe to the floor and her stomach churned. She had killed things; living, breathing, speaking creatures. She had slit their throats and watched the light leave their eyes. She was a killer.

The thought made her stomach flip over and she hurried to a nearby bush and emptied the contents of her stomach into the leaves. Whilst she retched Legolas stood behind her, awkwardly patting her on the back. She wiped the spittle from her mouth with her sleeve and stood up, letting Legolas slide his arm over her shoulders.

"You did what you had to do," Legolas attempted to comfort her, adding in his head; _and what you will no doubt have to do again_. Just ahead of them and separating the pair from Frodo and the ring Charlie struggled along, cradling her stomach.

"I can carry you," Glorfindel suggested. She looked up and merely shook her head. It was only a good twenty minutes later that she added;

"It's just a skin wound,"

"You are bleeding quite a lot Charlie," Glorfindel stated.

"I'll be fine,"

"And if it's infected?"

"Well I don't think carrying me is gonna make it less infected if it already is," She smiled up at him to let Glorfindel know that she had nothing against him, but didn't want to make a fuss, especially as everyone was silently mourning as they trudged along.

Both Charlie and Dany had noticed that the elves were quieter than they would usually be. Dany fell into step with her and the two walked along in comfortable silence, as they sometimes used to travel before they had come to this world. Charlie noticed that Dany kept looking concernedly at the elves who both seemed lost in their own thoughts.

"They are mourning him," Charlie said quietly more to herself than Dany. "They are mourning their Mithrandir," She added before tipping her head back to rid her eyes of the tears that had begun to collect there.

Dany sadly nodded at her younger friend's statement. Her eyes travelled from her own arms which she stared at fixatedly when not looking at the elves, to Charlie's stomach that was stained with blood. Feeling Dany's eyes on her, she looked up and attempted to smile reassuringly.

"I'm a killer," Her eyes widened and Charlie turned to face her.

"You did what you had to do," Charlie reassured.

"No, no, no," Dany shook her head attempting to shift the memory of her killing all the Orcs.

"Dany I'm pretty sure I would be dead if you hadn't done what you'd done. And Orcs, those things aren't people, they're mutant alien thingies which don't feel anything." Tears dripped down Dany's cheeks and Charlie turned to hug her best friend making sure to arch her back so that the blood would not transfer from her own tunic to Dany's. The two broke apart and sadly smiled at each other before carrying on walking in their silence. Charlie's mind flitted from subject to subject in her mind but was careful to keep any emotions from showing on her face.

A dull pain settled in her stomach and at the memories of Gandalf she felt another wave of emotion but refused to let any tears well up in her eyes. She had to be strong for the others, it was their turn to mourn him and their turn to be defeated by their own pain. The steps she took felt heavier as she continued to put one foot in front of the other and the hard ground slowly turned into one covered in broken branches, riddled with roots and damp leaves.

Charlie had blocked out most sound but heard Gimli talking some nonsense about a witch before it occurred to her that they had reached the woods of Lothlórien. She looked up and briefly saw a shape travel down one of the great trees before arrows were trained on the entire fellowship.

"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," One of the elves stepped forward and patronizingly looked at Gimli. Both of the girls whined Gimli's name before sniggering to themselves which drew attention from the majority of the elves. The patronizing elf narrowed his eyes at the mortals before speaking with Legolas, Glorfindel and Aragorn in Elvish.

"Speak in a language we can all understand," Gimli huffed at the four speaking in Elvish.

"I am Haldir, captain of the Lothlorien guard," Haldir spat at Gimli, obviously equally irritated. "My brothers, Rúmil and Orophin speak little of your tongue," He gestured to the other equally beautiful elves beside him and before his well-trained eyes narrowed at Frodo. "You bring great evil with you, I cannot allow you to pass."

"For the love of God, Blondie I'm bleeding over here." Drawing the attention of all that were there, Charlie was bent over with one hand on her knee and the other arm surrounding her stomach. Dany bent down next to her younger friend and spoke calming words under her breath, so in theory Charlie was the only one that could hear her.

Haldir, Legolas, Glorfindel and Aragorn continued their conversation with a sense of urgency and the March warden kept glancing over to Frodo and the mortal girls. Haldir nodded and begun leading them into the city of Lothlórien and the girls noticed that most of the elves had lowered their bows and returned to the trees.

Charlie saw that she and Dany were rather close to Frodo, and that Dany was trying to ignore the small stabs of pain that ran through her chest.

"Go to the back Dany."

"But-"

"Seriously I'm fine, and I'd rather you didn't collapse again," Dany looked worriedly at her friend. "Go," Charlie confirmed. Sighing, Dany dropped to where Legolas was walking and left Charlie to walk alone in the middle of the group, led by Haldir and Glorfindel who were whispering fast in Elvish. She turned to confirm that Dany had definitely gone to the back and walked into the two elves who she remembered Haldir introducing as his brothers.

"Oh god sorry," She realised that they probably hadn't understood her as they didn't speak much of her language, but didn't know the word for sorry in Elvish. The two elves exchanged looks before Charlie managed to remember the tiny bit of Elvish she had picked up. "Mae g'ovannen," She outstretched her hand for them to shake which they warily did. "Charlie," She pointed to herself and the elves smiled realising she was trying to communicate with them.

"Rumil," One said pointing to himself as did Orophin. "Elvish?" Rumil questioned whilst Charlie shook her head, holding up her index finger and thumb a centimetre apart. "Very little," She hoped they had understood her and the nods that followed suggested they had. She walked beside the two who were speaking in their own language which she didn't mind, as she was merely glad that she had someone to walk with. She noticed her surroundings, incredibly high trees which looked infinitely growing and that left dappled light on the forest floor. Lothlórien was certainly different to Rivendell, and possibly even more beautiful.

"Charlie, Charlie!" Orophin's urgent voice interrupted her thoughts and she realised that he had been tugging at her arm gently. "Blood," he pointed at her tunic. She looked worriedly at her midriff and found that the amount of blood on her tunic was growing. She lifted up her tunic to reveal the cut which had swelled up and started bleeding again. Wiping some of the blood away with her hand she noticed a small amount of pus was within the cut, which was about twelve centimetres long and curved beneath her navel. The elves' eyes widened and both went to feel her head which was warm to the touch.

"It's infected," she stated. "Finny's gonna kill me." The two elves ran to the front of the group, and dragged Glorfindel back to the girl with them speaking rapid Elvish all the while.

"Show me the cut," Glorfindel frowned and crossed his arms.

"I'm fine," She winced. "I just might need a doctor or healer or whatever you call it." Glorfindel sighed and lifted up her tunic himself and wiped away the blood to see the pus that also gathered there.

"Ooh, that's nasty," Dany had caught up with the elf and the mortal and was mimicking Glorfindel's action of inspecting the wound. "For god's sake Charlie you didn't mention this earlier?"

"I didn't know earlier, did I?"

"I will take her to a healer, they will deal with it," Glorfindel swept her up into his arms and pulled her close to his body. Dany went to follow them before Charlie called back to her.

"You need to speak to the lady, I'll be fine. Just concentrate on yourself and getting us home!" She shouted as Glorfindel disappeared into the trees with her. Dany felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to meet the sharp blue eyes of Legolas.

"She'll be fine, the healers have dealt with far worse," he reassured her. "She's right you know," The Elf added, referring to what Charlie had said just before she had left. Dany nodded and felt a hand intertwine with her own for the second time that day. She looked down at her and Legolas' linked hands and then back up at him and smiled.

Meanwhile, Glorfindel was jogging towards the city of Lothlorien and where the city's healers did most of their work.

"I can walk."

"I will carry you."

"But I'm really heavy."

"Nay you are not, and you have already worsened the infection by insisting on walking,"

"I wanted to give you space," Glorfindel frowned and looked at her with concern. "To mourn," She added and he nodded in understanding.

"To mourn Mithrandir," he said softly before clearing his throat. "You still did not tell me about the pain you were- are in,"

"Yeah well, you never told me you were killed by a Balrog." He looked startled at her statement and also was shocked at how offhand she sounded.

"That was no matter of importance, and don't tell me that your pain was of no importance either," She'd clearly frustrated him and she stopped speaking as they climbed the steps of a building that looked like all the others and found a healer.

* * *

They had walked for two days, and now the Fellowship was being led up a steep set of stairs. The glowing lanterns glittered in the light of the moon, casting an eerily beautiful glow across everyone. Two Elves, both with shimmering silver blond hair, started to descend down the stairs, hand in hand. The ellith had such a timeless beauty that Dany held her breath as she came down the steps, her blue eyes piercing and knowing. The male elf looked intently at Aragorn.

"Nine there are here, yet twelve there were set out from Rivendell. Two are already here, but tell me; where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him." He said slowly in a rich voice. Dany felt her chest grow heavy again and she looked at her dirty shoes, and she could sense Boromir grow uneasy under the beautiful elleth's gaze.

"He has fallen into shadow," she spoke softly. "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the company is true."

Dany's eyes flickered back up to the ellith, who she now knew in her mind was Galadriel, the one that could help her and Charlie. As if on cue, Charlie and Glorfindel went up the steps, the mortal's shoes echoing across the floor in the silence.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil, tonight you will sleep in peace." Galadriel's eyes were penetrating and Dany quickly grew uncomfortable, but then Legolas reached for her hand and squeezed it, making her feel more at ease.

"We have rooms prepared for you two," Haldir told them. Charlie looked at the Elf, puzzled, before glancing at Glorfindel. Haldir caught her look and raised an eyebrow. "It would not be polite to expect two women to lie side by side with men."

Dany snorted and brushed brown hair out of her eyes. "We have for the past month,"

"But I'll take a room," Charlie cut in, annoyed at her friend, "It would be nice to have a bed."

Haldir looked at Dany who shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I just want a bath. You look better."

"Thanks, I feel a lot better," Charlie flashed a smile, "And I see you survived without me."

Dany rolled her eyes and smacked her arm, making Charlie laugh.

"Very well then," Haldir began to lead Charlie up some stairs, and she winced with each step she took. Her midriff was still stinging after the healers had attended to it, and she was sure it was going to scar, but she was grateful to Dany. She wasn't going to pretend that Dany's behaviour hadn't disturbed her, but she knew that it had been the right thing. Frankly, she was glad that it was her friend that had done it and not herself. Charlie knew that it wasn't Dany's fault; but it would take some time getting used to. And right now she wanted to be alone.

Haldir led her up some more twisting steps to a talan. The height made her feel a little dizzy, especially when she looked over the edge, but she didn't mind too much. At least it wasn't underground. The bed in the middle of the wooden platform had fresh white linen sheets and looked ever so inviting, and there were white curtains hanging from the branches above to offer some privacy. Haldir inclined his head then took his leave, his feet not making a sound as he swiftly went down the steps.

Charlie dropped her bag on the floor and sat on the bed, smiling when it sank under her weight. She pulled off her boots and her socks then stretched out her toes, lying down on the bed. It was so soft and calming, and she wanted nothing more than to just sleep, but she needed a bath.

Charlie frowned when she found there wasn't a bath in the room. Glorfindel had mentioned that there were communal baths in Lothlórien, and she cringed at the thought. So Elves wouldn't have sex before marriage and found shorts scandalous, but they would bathe together?

She shook her head and slowly sat up, wincing. A gentle breeze blew through the white curtains and ruffled her hair slightly, making her run her hand through it and frown when she found it greasy. There was no handrail for her to use when she went down the steps and it made her stomach do flip flops, but Charlie eventually made it to ground level, where Glorfindel was speaking with another fair-haired she-elf, which made her clench her jaw. The elleth was extremely beautiful; compared to her she was so plain.

"Hey," she called as she ran up to him, making her presence known, "Do you know where the baths are?"

Glorfindel smiled brightly at her appearance. "Yes, I think Tári was just heading there now,"

The she-elf inclined her head towards her, shiny flaxen hair tumbling over her right shoulder. "Lady Charlotte."

"Just Charlie," the woman replied and the elf raised a perfectly arched brow.

"The baths are just this way. I shall see you soon, Lord Glorfindel." Tári's voice was like velvet and she led Charlie towards a staircase that descended into a chamber below the forest floor.

"They're down there?" Charlie asked; she didn't fancy going underground again.

"Yes, natural hot springs are below the forest," Tári answered. The she-elf descended down the steps and Charlie hurried to keep up, which made her wound sting. Obviously this snooty she-elf was not entirely happy with being asked to accompany the mortal, and Charlie's jaw clenched again. A wave of hot steam floated into her face and the scent of fragrant oils drifted up her nose, they were obviously at their destination.

Without a word Tári swept away with her head held high and over to the farthest spring, where some other ellyth waved her over, giggling. Tári smiled brightly at them then stripped and slid into the bubbly water, laughing at something one of the others had said.

Charlie sighed and wiped her sweaty forehead with her sleeve, not quite daring to strip yet. "Lady Charlotte!" a clear voice called. Charlie glanced over to see that the Elves were waving her over, their long limbs glistening with water. "Come join us!"

Charlie warily walked over to the hot spring and they looked at her expectantly. "Well?" Tári raised an eyebrow again. Charlie looked down at her clothes and she began to peel off her dirty clothes, and blushed a deep crimson when she was stark naked. The ellith giggled at her embarrassment and she slid into the water, and a bath had never felt so good.

"So," one of the ellyth clapped her hands, "We heard you were from another realm!"

* * *

Dany sat down by a tree in the forest. The city of Caras Galadhon was indeed beautiful; she had learned that the silver trunked trees with their shimmering leaves of gold were mallorn trees, and that the Elves had made homes out of them. There were many 'talans' and platforms in which they lived in and it was, overall, quite peaceful. But still, Dany wanted to be alone. The death of Gandalf was still raw and was not helped by most of the Elves distancing herself from her, but she understood why, no matter how much it hurt her.

She picked up one of the golden leaves that had fallen to the ground and ran her fingers over the pronounced veins, letting her fingertips ghost over the surprisingly silky surface. The dark blood that had coated her forearms was now gone; but whenever she closed her eyes the faces of the goblins she had killed appeared behind her eyelids, reminding her of what she had done. The memory of feelingher blade slice through their thick skin and tearing their flesh made her shiver. She was a murderer, and there was no redemption. Dany was guilty, and over time the blood on her hands would only grow bigger and darker-

"Dany?" Legolas' voice made her jump. Dany didn't hear him coming; no crunch of leaves, no snap of a twig, Elves really did move silently. "What are you doing out here?"

Dany just shrugged. She just wanted to be left alone. Nobody wanted her company. Legolas sighed and sat down beside her, wordlessly. The chirping of blue birds in branches and the gentle rustle of leaves were the only sounds for a few moments before either of them spoke.

"How do you feel?" the Elf asked her, genuinely concerned.

"Empty," Dany replied quietly. It was the truth; she felt guilt and sadness, but most of all she just felt… hollow.

Legolas nodded. "I understand. But you must realise that you _saved _Charlie and you helped us greatly,"

"I know," Dany answered confidently, but she felt tears start to brim in her eyes again. "But I've never killed anything before, save for bugs and a few small things. Don't you ever feel guilt?"

Legolas considered this before answering. "Yes. Many years ago I did, but now…"

"You're used to it," the woman grumbled. The Elf sighed again.

"I have had many years of fighting," he told her sternly, "It is understandable you feel this way, but you must let it go!"

"Let it go? How can I fucking let it go?" Dany snapped, "I KILLED them, I TOOK their lives away, I'm a murderer!"

Legolas winced at her sudden outburst and cursing. Dany had an explosive temper, and more often than not he was at the receiving end of one of her rants.

"How could I forget that I went all psycho and slit their throats? I didn't know what I was doing, and it fucking SCARES me!" Dany's face had grown red and a tear slipped down her cheek. "What if I hurt you or Charlie or one of the Hobbits? I'm dangerous! I can't do that again… I WON'T do that again."

Legolas tried to put an arm around her again but she shied away, making him clench his jaw. Dany held her face in her hands and drew her knees up to her chest, which was something she always used to do when she was younger. The incident in Moria had shown that she was unpredictable and dangerous, but it had never happened before. Would she ever be the same again?

Could she ever live her life normally if she went back to London?

Would she hurt her family and her friends?

In all honestly, the prospect of going home was dim. Both her and Charlie had learnt that they could only return home when the Ring was destroyed, but would they ever get the chance?

Legolas looked over at the mortal in sadness. It hurt him to see her so despairing, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to hold her in his arms, but she wouldn't let him.

"Lady Daniella?" Haldir appeared through the trees, and Dany looked up at him with puffy eyes. "Lady Galadriel wishes to see you."

Dany nodded and picked herself up from the floor and brushed the dirt off her jeans. "Lead the way," she sniffled and she wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Haldir raised an eyebrow at Legolas. Without bidding him goodbye Dany followed the March warden, not giving Legolas a second glance.

The Lady of Light was standing beside what looked like an old stone basin, which was within a courtyard of stone that had winding steps and roots that crept through the cracks of the floor. Haldir bowed deeply to Galadriel before he took his leave, his cloak swishing behind him. Galadriel herself had moved away from said basin and walked toward her in a white gown; her golden hair and soft, porcelain features radiating beauty.

Truth be told, Dany was quite intimidated by the elleth. "Daniella," she said softly, but it still sent shivers down Dany's spine. "Come, sit here." Galadriel led her over to a stone bench and she sat down, patting the stone beside her, to which Dany obliged.

"I take it that you've already spoken to Charlie," Dany grumbled and Galadriel chuckled, "But why did you want to speak to us separately?"

Galadriel sighed elegantly. "Before I begin, you must know that there are some things you cannot change," she said gravely and Dany's face fell, "I only know as much as the Valar have told me, which is little compared to Charlotte,"

Dany was confused. Weren't they sent here for the same reason?

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly, but somehow she knew she wouldn't like the answer. Galadriel gave her a small, radiant smile and gathered her hands within her own. Dany couldn't help but notice that Galadriel's were warm, smooth and soft and perfectly manicured, whereas hers were covered in grime and dirt was gathered under her short fingernails.

"Charlotte was sent by the Valar," Galadriel began, wasting no time. "But you were not."

However, before Dany could open her mouth to talk, the elf continued with her explanation. "The Valar saw goodness and strength within Charlotte, so they called upon the Queen of Vana to retrieve her."

"But why didn't they send for me?" Dany was slightly offended but very confused.

"They did see goodness within you, but it was not enough compared to Charlotte. They sent for the stronger candidate,"

"Oh." Dany wanted to cry again. Charlie was always better than her.

"Charlotte possesses qualities which all Elves desire; greatness, selflessness, pride... which is partly why the Valar sent for her, along with her heritage.

"But the one who did send for you _did _see something. They saw mischief, strength, blood-thirst and cunning," Galadriel's eyes sparkled. Dany looked down at her hands and gulped.

"So I'm basically a piece of shit no-one wants," she murmured, and behind her some leaves rustled.

"No, you are _exactly _what we want. The one who sent for you did not count on you and Charlie arriving _together_, and now we have you." Galadriel told her. Dany looked up.

"But who sent for me?"

Galadriel broke eye contact and turned her head away. She didn't want to tell her. Did she really want to know?

"Sauron sent for you."

Dany's eyes widened and her mouth went dry. "Sauron? The guy we're trying to stop?"

"Yes. He knows of your heritage, and he wants to take advantage of it."

"But- but what good am I, I'm only one single person in a war?" Dany asked and her heart began to hammer wildly in her ribcage. She felt sick to her stomach but she took this as a chance to ask as many questions as possible.

"You underestimate yourself. What happened in the mines is what Sauron wants,"

"But why did I go crazy and Charlie didn't?"

"That is for you to find out. You are fortunate that we have some tomes that have some information about your ancestors," Galadriel stood up, "That is all I know. I think it is time you go and take a bath."

Dany too stood up, her head still buzzing with all this new information. "I have noticed that the Ring does not pain me so much anymore. Why?"

"Sauron has noticed that physical pain will not make you bring the Ring to him,"

"So he's trying to make me take it to Mordor?"

"Yes. Pray tell me, what does it say to you?" Galadriel asked curiously. Some birds sang a high tune up ahead, but it was still eerily quiet. Dany thought about the lady's question, wandering if she really wanted to answer.

"Valar morghulis, valar dohearis," Dany whispered, and Galadriel smiled.

"All men must die, all men must serve," the elf murmured and Dany's eyebrows shot up her forehead.

"You speak Vanerian?"

"A little," Galadriel replied, "Though men do not call it Vanerian in other places; that is the elven name. In other realms They call it Valyrian,"

"Oh," Dany furrowed her brow, "But how can I speak it?"

"Vanerian blood has always run through your veins, how do you think?" Galadriel raised an eyebrow.

"Magic," she mumbled. This was really starting to piss her off, and the memory of blood run from her tear ducts made her shiver.

"And do not let those dreams and petty scare tactics frighten you, they are just for show," Galadriel smiled, as if she read her mind; which she probably did. "Come, you must eat,"

Dany walked over to the stone steps and began to ascend them. She turned around and looked at the Elf. "You haven't told Charlie about this, have you?"

Galadriel shook her head. "Nay, I have told no-one but you,"

"Good," Dany mumbled and she began to walk away, her hands trembling.

* * *

Haldir was waiting for Dany next to a nearby tree, which was out of earshot but close to Galadriel. After seeing the shocked look on Dany's pale face the Elf frowned. "Are you alright?"

"What? Oh yeah, yeah," Dany replied, slightly startled, "Can you show me where the baths are?"

Haldir nodded and lightly touched her arm in a comforting gesture, to which Dany smiled at him. The baths were not far from the courtyard and Dany could smell the lavender scent while they went down the steps.

"Just in here," Haldir gestured to a door. Dany thanked him and pushed the wooden door open, and was greeted by warm steam. She heard giggling as she walked into the large room, which had a white tiled floor and eight springs, and were about the same size as Jacuzzis back home. Dany spied Charlie and four other ellith in the farthest spring, laughing about something. Before, Dany had felt only guilt and sadness toward her friend, and was happy when Charlie comforted her, but now she felt anger. _She _was the one that needed comforting, and now her best friend had abandoned her and gone off with some other snooty elves!

She then shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts, she was being silly. Then her mind wondered back to Galadriel's words, and she shivered again.

One of the Elves, a beautiful, tall she-elf with an elegant bone structure and long, blonde hair looked over at her and smirked. "Look Lady Charlotte, it's your companion," she drawled and Charlie looked over her shoulder.

Dany looked awful. Her hair was tangled and matted with blood and dirt covered her whole body. Dark circles were under her eyes and she had a breakout of spots on her chin, and her eyes didn't shine anymore. The Elves giggled and Charlie felt a pang of guilt, but she didn't want to face with all these elves around. Tári and the others didn't know of Dany's episode in Moria and Charlie wanted to keep it that way.

Wordlessly, Dany slowly undressed and dipped a toe in the water. She was too exhausted to be embarrassed. "Dany, that spring is much too hot, go in another one!" Charlie called. Dany did not look up. With eyes fixed ahead, she walked into the scorching water, not even blinking. "Dany!"

Charlie's voice was faint as the heat licked up Dany's lower body, and then she was almost fully submerged.

The water was scalding hot but Dany did not flinch, the heat soothed her. _It's never too hot for a dragon,_ Dany thought sardonically. She began to scrub the dirt and dried blood from her arms and legs until they were red, and then she began to work the tangles from her hair. The oils made it slightly easier to comb the snags out but it still hurt her scalp. Once she had scrubbed herself clean she relaxed in the hot water, letting the steam cleanse her.

Tári looked over at the mortal in awe. All the Elves steered clear of that spring; the water almost burned to the touch, yet Dany didn't even flinch, how did she do it?

"I should take my leave, it is getting extremely late," one of the ellith stood, "It was a pleasure to meet you Lady Charlotte."

"You too," Charlie answered. Tári agreed and one by one the ellyth left, and Charlie was left alone in the pool. She clambered out of the pool and wrapped a piece of cloth around her and picked up her clothes. "Are you crazy?" Charlie hissed at Dany as she passed her.

"No. I just want a bath."

Dany had her head rested on the side of the pool and was looking up at the carved ceiling. Charlie frowned and dipped a finger into the water then yelped in surprise. "Jesus! You're gonna boil yourself!" she hissed and cradled her finger.

"Fire cannot burn a dragon,"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You ned to get out, you're clean now." _You'll burn yourself._

Dany glanced up at Charlie with wide eyes then nodded. Charlie handed her cloth as she slid out of the pool, steam rising from her body as she rose. "Let's get changed, I don't fancy walking around Lothlórien naked." Dany nodded again and dried herself, then slipped on her tunic and leather jacket. They left the bathhouse in silence then bid each other goodnight when Charlie went to her room.

"Need help with the stairs?" Dany teased. Charlie shot her a dirty look.

"No thank-you, I need to get away from you as soon as possible."

Dany grinned and walked to the pavilion where the rest of the fellowship and Glorfindel were sitting, eating and drinking.

"By the Valar, you're a woman!" Glorfindel cried jokingly and Dany hit him as she walked past. "Where's Charlie?"

"She's gone to bed. Didn't fancy sleeping outside again," Dany answered and Glorfindel nodded. She pulled on some clean leggings and helped herself to some berries and bread, which the Hobbits were quickly devouring. Legolas wandered across the camp in a silver tunic which reflected the moonlight, and to Dany he had never looked so handsome. She felt so guilty after shouting at him earlier; he had only been trying to help. Then a high and mournful sound drifted through the air, sending shivers down Dany's spine.

"A lament for Gandalf," Legolas murmured, the Elves of Lothlórien were mourning their Mithrandir too.

"What do they say about him?" Merry asked. Legolas turned to the Hobbit.

"I have not the heart to tell you," he answered softly and Dany's heart grew heavy again, "For me the grief is still too near."

Dany offered the elf a small smile to which he returned and her chest filled with joy. Only Legolas, only Legolas…

Aragorn smiled at Dany and then he went to talk to Boromir, who had been very quiet. Legolas looked down at the floor then wandered away from camp, and Dany frowned. Where was he going?

"You'd best follow him, miss," Sam told her.

"Why?"

The Hobbit shrugged. "He needs you."

Dany nodded. Legolas was grieving, he just didn't show it. Dany followed him behind a particularly large mallorn tree, making no attempt to be silent, he would hear her anyway. Her thoughts still wandered back to the reason behind her appearance and she subconsciously looked down at her wrists, studying her veins. _Fire cannot burn a dragon._

Dany found Legolas by a small pond. He had his arms by his side, not crossed or clasped behind his back like they were usually. In the moonlight he seemed taller and stronger and more like an Elf. Dany walked to his side and picked up a rock, then threw it into the pond, watching the moonlight bounce off the ripples as the stone splashed into the water.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you earlier," Dany apologised, then she turned and looked up at him, "You didn't deserve it. And don't you say it was perfectly understandable because I will pull my hair out if you do."

Legolas chuckled and turned to face her, a smile playing on his lips. He looked so perfect, standing there. "I forgive you," he murmured. Legolas' blue eyes sparkled and Dany grinned toothily at him, then she flung her arms around him and nuzzled her cheek against his chest. A hearty laugh escaped the Elf as he wrapped his arms around Dany and pulled her closer, then rested his chin on the crown of her head, which was still damp.

"Are you going to tell me what Lady Galadriel told you?" he asked simply.

"Yes, but not now."

Legolas closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose. The death of Mithrandir had been very hard on him, the Elf had lost a good friend and it also saddened him to see Dany so distraught after Moria, but now he felt calm and at peace for the first time in days.

All because of the little mortal in his arms.

She felt so at peace in his embrace. Legolas held her tighter, feeling his heart soar to feel the heat radiating off her body. She seemed warmer since the Mines, but she was not ill, which was curious. "I am glad you are here Lego, I'm not sure what I'd do without you," Dany whispered.

"And I you," Legolas replied, "And I you."


	13. Chapter 12

The song of birds awoke Charlie. The bright light made her groan and turn over, nestling her head in the pillows. The soft mattress was a stark contrast to the rocky ground she had slept on the past month, and she realised how much her back and neck hurt when she attempted to look at her surroundings.

The birds were chirping happily amongst the golden leaves of the mallorn trees and there were fluffy white clouds scattered across the blue sky, making Charlie sigh in content. She wondered whether the others were up yet; by her guess it was roughly eight o'clock in the morning, so everybody apart from Dany would be awake.

Charlie swung her legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes, wincing when her midriff stung again. She would have to go to the Healers later that day to get the bandage replaced. Charlie slowly pulled on her newly washed green tunic and light blue jeans to go and get some breakfast. A gentle breeze blew the curtains in slightly and she slipped on her blue Vans and agonizingly tied the laces up, then she pushed her bag under her bed and began to brush her tangled hair.

She wondered if Glorfindel was awake; he probably was. Whilst she swept the brush through her blonde locks she thought back to Tári and the other elves, who obviously liked her guardian. They had constantly bombarded her with questions about him and the Prince of Mirkwood, and Tári had shown a keen interest in the Rivendell elf, which irked Charlie for some reason she couldn't quite place.

She shoved her brush back in her bag and stood up slowly, tying her highlighted hair up into a ponytail, and frowned when she saw that her roots were beginning to show. Galadriel had mentioned a library she could visit to try and find out about her heritage and she was going to visit it that day with Glorfindel. The thought of seeing him brought a smile to Charlie's face as she went down the steps to the pavilion where the rest of the Fellowship was staying.

"Charlie!" Pippin cried with a mouthful of lembas. "You look so much better!"

"Thanks Pippin, I feel a lot better," Charlie replied. "Where's Dany?"

Pippin grinned and inclined his head toward a mass of blankets on the ground. Charlie rolled her eyes once she saw a head of wild brown hair and a leg sticking out from under the grey woollen material; but was that _blond _hair she saw too?

Charlie's mouth hung open and Aragorn chuckled. "They were by the pond, talking for hours last night," the Ranger told her between mouthfuls of fruit, "They wandered back here and fell asleep."

"But I thought Elves didn't sleep?" Charlie asked. She was very surprised but had to give Dany kudos for falling asleep with Legolas.

"They do but not often; Legolas is in a deep sleep," Aragorn answered, "They have only been resting for four hours, it would be best not to wake them."

Charlie nodded and looked around, frowning when she saw that Glorfindel was missing. Boromir and Gimli were not awake yet and the Hobbits were eating breakfast, but the other elf was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know where Glorfindel is," Aragorn said, as if he had read her mind, "He might have gone with Haldir."

"We were supposed to go to the library after breakfast." Charlie said, annoyed.

"He will come back soon. Perhaps he didn't expect for you to be up so early." Aragorn teased and Charlie chuckled. The man handed her a plate of lembas and berries which she gladly accepted and licked her lips after eating the sweet fruit.

A series of groans made Charlie glance over at the pile of blankets on the floor, obviously Dany and Legolas were stirring, and she also saw Glorfindel emerge from the trees. "Oh God," Dany moaned, "Whose idea was it to stay up?"

"I believe it was yours," Legolas sleepily replied and rubbed his eye with his hand, then frowned. Somehow they had fallen asleep together after walking hand in hand back from the pond, and it was then he realised how exhausted he was, which meant that he had not been adverse to sleeping with his arms wrapped around the mortal.

But it had been comforting to have the heat of Dany's unusually warm body pressed against his chest after such an emotional few days. Dany groaned and rolled over and nuzzled her head against him, and then he rested his head on the top of hers, pulling her closer.

Legolas knew that other Elves, and even men, would find this display of affection rather inappropriate but he honestly didn't care anymore. He was just content to close his eyes and feel the sunlight on his face as he held Dany in his arms.

Dany herself felt safe by his side and she'd had no nightmares that night, making it the best night of sleep she'd had for weeks. The goblins, Sauron and Galadriel's words plagued her through every night and day, making her question if this ordeal was really worth it.

"It's too bright," Dany murmured and she pressed her cheek against him, "I want to go to sleep again."

Legolas sighed and lifted the blanket over their heads, blocking out some of the light. "I just want to sleep for the next fourteen years," she mumbled and Legolas nodded. The slight weight of her on his chest made him hug her tighter and he could feel Dany's heartbeat through her chest, which was slow and steady, much like his own.

"Legolas?"

"Hm?"

"You're stroking my back."

"Oh," Legolas _had _been subconsciously running his fingers over her back.

"No, don't stop," Dany said with her eyes closed, "It feels nice."

Legolas grinned and ran his fingers over her back again and Dany sighed in content, then she squealed when his fingers dipped under her arm.

"Don't do that!" she gasped and tried to wiggle away from him, "I'm ticklish!"

"I know," Legolas said cheekily and he grinned mischievously. His fingers stuck Dany under her armpit again and she laughed and began to squirm as the Elf held her down.

"Stop it Legolas!" she cried breathlessly and tried to swat his hands away.

They were still under the blanket and to Charlie, Glorfindel and Aragorn it did not look right.

"What the hell are they doing?" Charlie asked Glorfindel, and he shrugged.

"Do you yield?" Legolas asked her and Dany violently shook her head. "Do you yield?"

"Never!"

Legolas began to laugh again as she began to squirm ever more under his touch, then blinding light made him squint. He froze and looked up to see Haldir towering over them at a very unattractive angle; he could see right up his nose.

"The others of my guard wish to meet you," the Elf said in a voice of slight disgust. Dany burst out laughing and Legolas chuckled again then he pushed off the blanket. Haldir raised a dark eyebrow but Legolas only shook his head in amusement as he rolled off Dany.

"You'd better eat up; we're going to the library." Charlie called to Dany who groaned.

Legolas had put on his silver tunic and bade Dany goodbye as he picked up his bow and arrow to follow Haldir.

"Are we still on for later?" Dany shouted at him, and Legolas turned around and flashed her a grin to say yes.

"On for what?" Charlie asked suspiciously.

"He wants to show me something Haldir told him about."

"What's that?"

Dany shrugged and bit into a piece of lembas. "Who knows?"

After a quick breakfast and after Dany had finished getting dressed her, Charlie and Glorfindel went to Galadriel and Celeborn's personal library to try and find more information. A musty smell made Dany scrunch up her nose as one of the sentinels opened the door for them. The room was dark and very unspectacular compared to the rest of the city; but somehow it felt more homely to Charlie. Old and fading leather-bound books were neatly lined up on mahogany bookshelves but there were also piles of dusty tomes and sheets of parchment stacked on wooden desks and on top of shelves, making the place seem neat but disorganised at the same time.

The light that filtered in through the small windows highlighted the dust particles that floated through the air and the desks held inkwells full of jet-black liquid and creamy speckled feathered quills lay next to them, ready for writing.

"Wow," Charlie breathed out, and she stepped forward slowly, "I wish there were more libraries like this back home."

Glorfindel brushed past her, lightly touching her arm, and walked towards the bookshelf furthest from the door. "Lady Galadriel said that what you need is in the oldest tomes, which are over here."

Dany tilted her head and gazed at the ceiling where vines and leaves had been carved into the wood; twisting and turning up the walls and meeting in the centre where they came together to create a magnificent chandelier, which had small lanterns hanging from the thin branches.

"Most records from Vana were destroyed in the sacking of the city," Glorfindel explained as he read the spines of the books, "And I suppose most will be in Vanerian or some form of Elvish anyway, like Sindarin or Quenya."

"And that's why we have you," Charlie quipped and smiled at him. Glorfindel shook his head, golden hair catching the sunlight. Dany wandered through the many bookshelves, slightly annoyed that Galadriel hadn't joined them. The Elf had said that this was their path to take and that she wouldn't interfere.

Dany rolled her eyes. Elves could be so infuriating sometimes. She ran a finger down one spine of a book, collecting grey dust along the way. A giggle made her look up to see Charlie and Glorfindel sharing a smile, then Glorfindel mumbled something she couldn't catch and Charlie hit him over the head with a book she was holding, creating a satisfying thump.

Dany grinned as Glorfindel smoothed his hair down again and rolled his eyes, but she caught him smiling nonetheless. "I think I found something!" Charlie cried and Glorfindel and Dany rushed over to her. "Look!"

Dany peered at the brown leather book in her hands. "Doesn't it look Vanerian?" Charlie asked as she ran her fingers of the golden cursive title.

"That is not Vanerian," Glorfindel sighed in amusement, "That's Sindarin for 'Races of Middle Earth: Second Volume."

"Oh,"

"Don't look so disheartened," Dany sighed and clapped Charlie on the back, "We'll find something."

"I hope so," Charlie said, "I'm very curious about my heritage now! It's just this whole thing…"

"What do you mean?" asked Dany.

"The whole thing of us being sent to _another _world to help save it!" Charlie said excitedly, "Don't you feel proud?"

"Mm hm," Dany dismissed and she felt her mood darken. She still hadn't told her best friend of the true reason behind her own appearance, and seeing Charlie so happy made her feel a little jealous. While in her reverie Dany's eyes wandered over to a deep red tattered old book squeezed beside other, slightly newer ones. The pages were yellowed and a dark burn mark ran up the spine and across the front page, where the leather had bubbled slightly under intense heat. Without thinking Dany slowly went up to the shelf and pulled it out, blowing the dust off the front cover. In faded golden writing across the top page Dany read the title.

"Vanerio Rigle," she said aloud, "I recognise that."

"You read Vanerian?" Glorfindel asked sceptically. Dany shrugged and handed him the book. The stained pages almost disintegrated under his touch as he leafed through the old antique, gazing thoughtfully at the foreign words.

Charlie asked her the same question and she shrugged again. "There are a few words I know."

"How?"

"I don't know, they're just… implanted in my mind," Dany tried to get her head around it. At first she couldn't remember the words she had spoken in the mines, but they were now slowly coming back to her. "I'm guessing Vanerio is Vanerian, but I have no idea what 'Rigle' is."

"I'll try and find some tomes that translate it, but it doesn't look like there's many," Charlie tilted her head to the shelf where Dany had picked up Vanerio Rigle, and there were four other old tomes bound by the same deep red leather.

"At least there are pictures." Glorfindel quipped and Dany chuckled. Charlie walked over to the shelf and pulled out the four books, spluttering when the dust blew into her face. "We should sit at a desk," the Elf suggested, "It would be more comfortable."

Glorfindel pulled out one of the creaky chairs from the large desk and sat down on the purple velvet seat, taking one of the red books from Charlie. "God, it's like university all over again," Charlie sighed and drew her fringe away from her face.

"How so?" Glorfindel asked. These places and items they spoke of on a daily basis greatly confused him.

"Uni is the school you go to to get a certain qualification," Charlie explained as she sat down, "We spent many an hour in the school library researching for papers."

"And I hoped we would never have to do it again," Dany sighed. The inkwells shook as she plopped herself down on the seat. "Okie dokie then,"

The first page was just a chunk of text in exceptionally beautiful calligraphy, but that also made it harder to read. "I have no idea what the fuck this says," Dany said, "Oh! I recognise that word! Lentroti! It must be plural for Houses!"

"You found Houses? Our names must be in there then!" Charlie exclaimed and stuck her head in front of Dany's face.

"Get out of the way, I can't read it," Dany swatted away Charlie's head, "Look! Lentroti iksā: Tulith, Malelenil, Targaryen, Aeratail, Celtigar se Velaryon."

"What do you suppose that means?"

"Main Houses? I dunno. Maybe it has separate pages on each of them." Dany flicked through the pages until she found a picture. "Is that…?"

"The Queen?" Charlie asked and she snatched the book from Dany's hands. "It is!"

It was true; the elleth depicted had the same shiny blonde hair, high cheekbones, small nose and piercing blue eyes. A small but stunning red and gold dragon was curled around her shoulders, coal-red eyes almost glowing on the yellowed page. "House Tulith," Charlie read, "Must be the Royal Family."

"Yeah," Dany replied, flicking the page over after Charlie returned it. "Apparently Vanerian for queen is dāria,"

"Wow, she's pretty," Charlie pointed to another drawing of a similar elf, but her features were slightly softer. It looked as though it had been drawn in ink, but after many millennia it had begun to fade.

"She is. I think she was the Queen's niece. Her name was Daomirys Tulith. Wait, no…" Dany scanned the page. "Holy shit, I think she married some guy called Elros Malelenil!"

"You're kidding?" Charlie's heart immediately sped up after hearing her last name.

"No, look! She's got two names, Glorfindel!"

Glorfindel looked at the page and agreed. "This word- ābrazȳrys, do you think that means 'wife'?"

Dany shrugged. "Maybe, we can't be sure but it seems like it. Good God, you might be royalty!"

Charlie's heart fluttered. Royalty, who would have thought it? Plain old Charlotte Malelenil from Brighton, Elven royalty!

She looked over at Daomirys again. Charlie's hair was darker and straighter but she had the same green-blue eyes, though of course that didn't guarantee anything.

"Wow, look at these guys!" Dany had flipped the page over and there was a full drawing of two extremely attractive Elves, one male and one female. They were the pinnacle of Elven beauty; creamy porcelain skin, high cheekbones, full lips, strong brows, but their hair was platinum blond; almost white, and they had unusual lilac eyes. "Lilac eyes? I thought only Mary-Sues had them!"

Charlie sniggered but Glorfindel didn't understand Dany's joke. "House Targaryen," Charlie read. "What does that say? Zaldrīzes āeksio?"

"No flippin' clue, but on the picture of the queen it says 'Dāria Amarel Tulith se zaldrīzes', which I suppose is 'Queen Amarel and dragon'."

"So it says dragon-something?"

Dany nodded. "It could be master," Glorfindel suggested, "Or Lord."

"Dragonlord sounds badass,"

Glorfindel laughed and Dany passed him the book and he thumbed through the pages. "It seems as though these Houses were the most powerful in Vana. I think they're the ones who harnessed the dragons," Glorfindel analyzed.

"Does it say anything about Aeratail?" Dany asked hopefully. Glorfindel nodded and handed her the book again. After years of not knowing where her last name came from Dany felt slightly giddy. She was English through and through on her mother's side, but her surname came from her father who had Irish heritage of all things, and Dany chuckled at the thought.

Glorfindel had opened the page on her House, and on the left there was an intricate drawing of a very handsome elf. Well, all elves were handsome in her eyes. The Elf was brandishing a longsword and was dressed in full body armour which was jet-black and was cut in the design of dragon scales. His breastplate was the colour of night and there was a sigil of a curled, red winged serpent enameled into the metal.

"Fancy," Charlie remarked and sniggered when Dany smacked her on the arm.

The Elf had a squarer jaw than the Targaryens and he had grey-blue eyes and dark brows, but his hair was a mix of flaming red and gold, and his crimson cloak billowed around a black dragon with golden eyes that had its magnificent translucent wings spread behind him. Blood ran down the Elf's hardened face where he had been cut in battle; such a contrast to the peaceful portraits of House Aeratail.

"Je-sus Chr-ist," Dany breathed, fingers trembling. "I think he was Captain of the Guard,"

"I wouldn't be surprised, look at that sword!" Charlie exclaimed. The steel was dark and had ripples that caught the light due to the metal having being folded over and over on itself. The handle was the same dull colour but was jeweled with rubies and darker enamel swirled across it, which then carried on upwards across the blade in red, giving the illusion of blood.

"Wow, talk about killing with style." Charlie said.

Glorfindel smiled and Dany's stomach rumbled. "Damn, I'm hungry."

"You only ate a while ago,"

"I know, but my tummy is saying it's lunch," Dany stood up and stretched, "I'm gonna go and get something to eat."

* * *

"Dany! Dany! Dany!" Legolas shouted repeatedly to the oblivious girl who was enjoying lunch outside with the company of the ever adorable hobbits. He sighed, realising that he hadn't got her attention and strode over to her before bending down ad whispering her name in her ear. She jumped and put a hand to her chest, heart hammering, and then she turned around to see that it was Legolas who had given her the shock.

"Jesus, you scared me!" Dany said irritably, "I told you to not bloody do that!"

"I was simply trying to get your attention," he said, scanning the bench. "Where's Charlie?" Dany felt her stomach drop; she hadn't seen her best friend for a while and wondered if she was with Tári and the others.

"Dunno," she vaguely stated whilst looking for something to change the subject of the conversation quickly. "So, you wanted to show me something?"

Legolas' face lit up. He grabbed her hand and swiftly pulled her up and began leading her through the winding paths of the city, leaves crunching beneath their feet. Dany had to run to keep up with his graceful and incredibly fast pace.

"Legolas slow down a little!" she shouted as he came to an abrupt stop, making her lurch forward and almost fall over. He gave her an apologetic smile before continuing to lead her down a path and into the forest. "Are we allowed to be here?" Dany questioned, concerned as there were no elves heading in the same direction, and she had never seen anyone except for the guard enter this part of the woods.

"Of course, I would not bring you here if it were of any danger to you," Dany was so mesmerized with the beautiful surroundings that she failed to notice that Legolas had stopped walking. He gestured to a ladder which disappeared into one of the tallest trees she had ever seen. The trunk was a bright silver and thick, almost as thick as a small room. She looked up and squinted at the sun that burned her eyes and she saw golden leaves glimmering in the midday heat.

"We-we're going up there?" Dany gulped, despite her love for heights that ladder didn't look particularly sturdy and not knowing exactly where it went made her nervous. Legolas grinned and gestured for her to go first, and she meekly nodded and put her hands on the first rung, then began to climb upwards.

It was a good thing it was anchored to the ground as it swung and shook as she climbed, and the rough wood beneath her hands was rubbing painfully. Dany kept looking down to make sure that Legolas was still there; though she didn't know why. She reached a wooden platform and shakily pulled herself up and rolled into the very middle. The Elf then pulled himself up with ease and grinned again.

"What are you grinning at?" Dany asked then Legolas pulled her up. The platform wobbled slightly as she slowly stood up on trembling legs. Though she liked heights she was used to having a harness at this altitude, she felt slightly sick without one and she started to develop that sinking feeling in her stomach.

Legolas smiled again, small creases appearing beside his blue eyes. Dany's heart swelled and she grinned back, despite her uneasiness, and he pointed into the distance.

"Oh," Dany spoke breathlessly and let her mind process what she was seeing. The platform was high enough to see over the tree line and she could see stunning shades of green spanning around her. She could see the snowy tops of but a few of the Misty Mountains and a clear blue sky; she had never seen anything quite so perfect.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" Legolas said softly into her left ear. Dany nodded, and turned in his arms to face him. "It is sometimes used as a post for guards to look out, but some like Haldir and myself come here for peace and the view."

Dany looked up into his stunning blue eyes and felt an overwhelming surge of affection for the elf. "Thank you so, so much." Dany whispered, putting her head to the elf's chest and looking into the landscape. And that was how they stood, watching the sun move and the birds fly, clinging onto each other and appreciating the beautiful landscape. His arms shifted from the middle of her back to her waist, and hers to around his neck.

"I wanted to share one of the beautiful things I have in my life," he paused, as if considering whether to say something else, "With you."

"It is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen," she agreed. Her eyes welled up with tears as she thought of home. "There is nothing like this at home, only in a few places where I don't have enough money to visit." Dany admitted.

"Well, you won't need lots of money if you are unable to return to your home," he said bluntly before realising his mistake. Her eyes widened as she tried to process what Legolas had said and she stepped backwards out of his arms and away from him. "…Dany," he tried but she just shook her head and narrowed her eyes at him.

_How could he say something like that? _

"I can't believe you would say that," she shook her head again in disbelief and a few tears fell down her face. He went to wipe them away but she hit his hand away. Legolas saw that her blue eyes had clouded over; with anger, sadness or a mixture of both, he didn't know.

The thought of never going home filled her head and welled up inside her, swallowing her like a black hole, and she suddenly wanted to be alone. She lowered herself through the gap in the platform and began descending the ladder as quickly as she could.

"Dany, let me help," Legolas tried yet again. He was mentally slapping himself for saying something so hurtful to someone so vulnerable.

"I don't need your help," Dany spat. Her words were poisonous in his ears as she carried on her shaky descent, sniffling.

"Give me your hand, you could fall." Legolas pleaded, though it was rather irritating that she refused to listen to him.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Dany shouted angrily, "I HAVE NEVER NEEDED YOUR HELP!"

"Fine!" he jumped off the ladder to swing onto another tree and swiftly climbed down. "I can see you are no state of mind to have a proper conversation!"

"Don't you turn this on me!" she screamed at him, but Legolas was already gone. By Eru, she was infuriating!

Dany felt the darkness that settled in her stomach grow and she blindly stumbled towards the city, wiping away tears. As she got to Caras Galadhon Dany felt guilt consume her. _He was only trying to comfort you, _she thought to herself, _granted, in a weird way._

Legolas had also tried to apologise and she threw it back in his face. Oh God, what had she done?

She spun around wildly and was about to run after him when she walked into something warm and solid.

"Lady Dany," Tári greeted, a smile on her elegant face. She was with two other ellith who had their heads held high and the straightest posture Dany had ever seen.

"Oh, hi," Dany sniffled as she stumbled backwards, almost falling on her backside.

"Is something wrong?"

"What? Oh, no, no, no," Dany nervously laughed. "Uh, have you seen Charlie?"

"No, I haven't."

"Right, she's probably with Glorfindel," Dany muttered and a muscle in Tári's cheek twitched. "Do you mind? I have to go, uh, meet Legolas."

"The Prince?" a tall elleth spoke. "Why were you with the Prince?"

"What's it to you?" Dany went on the defensive. She just wanted to go and apologise, dammit!

"Oh, there is no need to be angry! I just want to have the pleasure of meeting him," she replied, "My name is Analee."

"Uh, I'll be sure to mention you to him." Dany said awkwardly and Analee smiled with glee.

"And what of Lady Charlie? She seems to have taken a certain liking to Lord Glorfindel,"

"Yeah, I suppose she has, and good for her," Dany shrugged. Tári raised an eyebrow.

"Never before has a male elf fallen in love with a mortal," Tári told Dany, and Dany felt her heart shatter.

"Never?"

"No, it just would not be good for both involved," Tári shrugged, "The mortal would eventually pass and the Elf would most likely fade."

Fade? Gandalf had mentioned Elves fading, and Dany couldn't think of a sadder way to die.

"Oh, I'll be sure to tell her that. It's only a little crush, y'know?"

"Of course. Perhaps later this week we could all dine together?" Tári suggested.

"Yes, but it will have to be at the end of the week. I have archery practice," Analee agreed, "I think that the Lord and Lady wish to have a feast in the Fellowship's honour."

"Perfect!" one of the other elves piped up. "I already have my dress!"

"So do I, and it's a blue one, Lord Glorfindel's favourite colour," Tári said dreamily and Dany snickered. Green was Glorfindel's favourite colour.

"I trust you have your dress?" Analee asked Dany, and she cocked a brow.

"Uh no, actually."

"Well you can't come looking like that; ask a seamstress to make you one. Elven gowns are extremely elegant," Analee drawled and Dany felt anger boil up inside her again. Who did these Elves think they were? All of them were so infuriating!

"I look forward to seeing you again, Lady Dany." Tári said and lightly touched her arm.

"Um, right back at ya," Dany replied and Tári laughed.

Dany then took this as a sign to get out of there and she ran out of the small gap between buildings and in the general direction of where they had been staying. Analee went to follow her but Tári merely shook her head and smiled knowingly as the mortal ran through the city.

Meanwhile Legolas was furiously talking to himself as he strode away from the tree. The nerve of her to shout at him like that! He had only been trying to comfort her and then apologise and she threw it back in his face! His comment wasn't even that offensive!

"Something on your mind, mellon-nin?" Aragorn asked and Legolas jumped, he hadn't even heard him!

"No, Aragorn." Legolas sighed and he sat down on his bedroll. Smoke drifted from the man's mouth as he clenched a pipe between his teeth. Usually this didn't bother Legolas but the smell was so strong today, it made his nose hurt and clouded his mind even more than Dany.

"Please would you put that out!" the elf snapped at the Ranger, and Aragorn raised an eyebrow.

"Clearly something is on your mind."

"It matters not."

"I have never seen you so on edge," Aragorn replied, "Is it Dany?"

Legolas kept his silence. He sighed and lay down onto the material, closing his eyes. "Yes."

"What have you done now?"

"It wasn't _me_!" Legolas cried, but then he rethought it. Was he the one at fault?

"What did you say to her?" Aragorn asked. He couldn't believe that he, out of everyone else, was giving Legolas relationship advice.

Legolas sighed. Did he really want to tell Aragorn? It was a private moment that he and Dany had shared and he wasn't sure if he wanted to share it with anyone else yet.

"We went to the highest flet in the city, and she said that she wouldn't have enough money to see something like that in her world; and I said…" Legolas paused, "I said that she wouldn't need lots of money if she was unable to return home."

Aragorn sighed; Legolas was always saying the wrong thing. "That was not a smart thing to say."

"Well I know that now!" Legolas snapped, "I didn't think she would be _offended_ by it."

"She did not take offence, she was upset by it," Aragorn replied, "It has been lingering on both her and Charlie's minds ever since they appeared here and you said it. They have always had hope that they could return to their life of comfort but they are trapped here until the Ring is destroyed. How would that make _you _feel?"

Legolas felt a lump form in his throat. He would be devastated if he couldn't return to his home and his father.

"Yes, she is angry at you, but not as much as you might think." Aragorn brought his pipe to his mouth again.

"And how do you know this?"

Aragorn laughed. "You must know that I probably have had the most relationship issues in Middle Earth."

Legolas chuckled, and then he frowned. "You said 'relationship issues', me and Dany are not courting."

Aragorn cocked a brow at him. "Do you want to court her?"

"What? No, no. Well I don't think so…" Legolas spluttered, "I know not! It is all too confusing…"

"Why are you confused?"

"Stop asking me questions!"

"I think it would help you by answering them!"

Legolas rolled his eyes and sighed. "Are you in love with her?" Aragorn asked.

"No, I don't think so…"

"But you care deeply for her,"

"Of course I do."

"Tell me, have you ever cared so deeply for someone you have known for this short amount of time?"

"No," Legolas answered. He was not in love with her, but he cared for the mortal.

"Is she in love with you?"

"I know not."

"Then you know. Go and apologise to her and stay friends, it isn't worth this trouble."

Legolas nodded. He was as stubborn as his father but he had been the one to upset her, so he thanked Aragorn then went to go and look for Dany.

* * *

The young woman walked through the winding trees, lost in her own thoughts. How could she have been so stupid as to think Legolas could like her as more than a friend?

Tári and Analee were so much prettier, wiser, and more lady-like; everything a Prince needed in a wife. Dany was just an average-looking woman from Brighton who had somehow ended up in a different world. That didn't make her special. He was special, she was not.

It wasn't rocket science.

It was now early evening but Dany had lost her appetite, the thought of food made her feel sick. The thought of anything made her feel sick. Her head was throbbing painfully, and the weight in her chest had amplified so much it made her eyes stream.

"Dany?"

She froze. There was no mistaking that voice.

"I wish to speak to you."

She slowly turned around to face Lady Galadriel, who smiled softly at her.

"Come."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Dany followed the elf down the stone steps and over to the carved basin. The birds were strangely quiet and even the wind was deadly silent, making her feel uneasy. "Is there something you want to show me?" Dany asked hoarsely.

"Nay, I think it would be best if I tell you," Galadriel said softly with a voice like honey. Dany nodded but the pit in her stomach grew, and she felt as though it would swallow her.

"As you know, Charlie will only be able to return home after the Ring has been destroyed," Galadriel began. Dany nodded again, eyes unfocused. "But I do not know what would happen to you if the Ring is destroyed."

"Sauron shows no mercy to anyone, not even his allies. If the Ring is destroyed you fail your purpose, and Sauron, even if he is destroyed too, will no doubt punish you. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Dany croaked. Was Galadriel telling her that she was going to die?

Galadriel sighed and smoothed her skirt down. Tears brimmed in Dany's eyes, clouding her vision, but they didn't fall. "I have seen your future, pen tithen."

Dany didn't answer. She couldn't answer.

"It is not determined, you can change it."

The young woman's head snapped up. "Why would I want to change it?"

Galadriel frowned. "Death is not glorious; you can be of great use to this quest."

"I don't want to be part of this quest, nobody wants me to be part of this quest! I just want to go home!" A tear fell from her eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. "I just want to go home."

"I know this is difficult for you Dany, I really do, but you can go home after the quest."

"No!" Dany cried and her voice cracked from all her crying. _I'm dead either way!_ Dany thought to herself, she and turned away from the Elf and breathed in shakily. Was she really contemplating suicide?

"I suggest you go and rest young one," Galadriel stood up, "It is a lot to process."

"Yeah," Dany sniffled, "I need some food." She stood up from the bench (in her daze she had sat down on it) and brushed the imaginary dirt from her legs. Galadriel smiled softly again, making Dany's stomach churn. The Elf gracefully walked over to the mirror and begun to pour water in it from a jug, and before Dany knew it, she was running.

* * *

"Glorfindel, Charlie, have you seen Dany?" Legolas had tracked down Glorfindel and Charlie in a practice area near the edge of the woods. Glorfindel had been trying to help Charlie improve on both her sword work and archery skills, and although she was still struggling with a sword she was progressing with a bow and arrow. The two were about to leave as almost everyone was having or had had dinner.

"No, we haven't," Charlie said warily. "We thought she was with you?"

"She was until a couple of hours ago,"_ Although it felt longer._

"Legolas what did you do?" Her voice was laced with concern, though perhaps she was overthinking it.

"We had an argument, I was a little blunt with my words to say the least." Charlie's eyebrows furrowed. "I wanted to apologise, but she is nowhere to be found,"

"That's not good," Glorfindel muttered and Charlie nodded her head. "We shall help you look," He announced and in agreement they started listing places she could be and if Legolas had checked there, despite the fact that Charlie wasn't of much use.

"Her room?"

"No,"

"Library?"

"No,"

"The lady of the light?"

"No,"

"Training?" Legolas gestured to himself and where they were and the other two nodded. They started making their way into the city, looking in every street and climbing various steps until they circled back to where they had first entered the city.

"We're going round in circles," Charlie stated and the others nodded and the three stood in silence. This continued until a shout came from an elf hurtling towards then who skidded to a stop; Rumil, Haldir's youngest brother. He spoke rapid Elvish and as he continued Legolas and Glorfindel's faces fell and hardened. Legolas looked particularly distressed and sprinted off to where Rumil had come from. Rumil stayed and continued talking speedily with Glorfindel, and Charlie heard mentions of Dany's, Haldir's and Legolas' name.

"Care to translate for those of us who don't speak Elvish?" A wary look exchanged between the two elves as Glorfindel translated her words to Rumil.

"Haldir and Rumil had broken off from their patrol, just to cover more ground," Glorfindel began. "They were heading towards a platform further north when they heard and then saw Dany," Charlie's heart hammered in her chest as she tried to figure out what exactly was happening. "She was nearing the ladder to a high flet, muttering to herself and sobbing,"

"Oh god," Charlie spoke.

"Rumil said that Haldir thought-" Glorfindel's voice caught as he knew that this would not just greatly upset the scared mortal in front of his, but also in fear and sadness for the distressed girl currently climbing to the platform. "From her muttering, that she may try and take her own life,"

"No, no, no, no," Charlie collapsed to her knees. "Oh god no," She let out an anguished scream and silent tears rolled down her cheeks. "She's my best friend she can't d- Oh god I had no idea," Her heart hammered in her chest and it felt like her throat was closing up. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think straight. And only one thought went through her mind… _How do I save her? _Glorfindel looked at the broken mortal and went to reach out to her when she started sprinting further into the city. The two elves shared confused looks and followed swiftly after her. Charlie was legging it to the one place where she had some chance of at least doing something. Her vision started going black around the edges as she couldn't breathe and was obviously deprived of oxygen. But somehow she sprinted through the halls and burst through the doors to stand in from of the lady of the light.

"Lady Charlotte, you should not just burst in-" One of the guards started.

"I know and I'm so sorry and I wouldn't do this unless it was an emergency but Dany's life is in danger and I didn't know what else to do," She blurted out whilst heavily breathing.

"What is happening child?" Galadriel approached Charlie and placed her hand on Charlie's cheek.

"Dany's c-c-climbing a platform and," She spoke shakily now. "Haldir thinks she's going to kill herself," She finished with tears cascading down her face. She felt her mind open and realised that Galadriel was looking into her head and at her thoughts, seeing the conversation that had just taken place.

"Daniella is in trouble," The lady spoke softly. "Get a team of healers ready, a room and send two to the far north platform," She closed her eyes. "I am unfamiliar with her mind, I cannot see it clearly with the distance," She muttered to herself. Meanwhile her husband ordered the guards to their various jobs and Charlie just watched the whole thing in shock. She felt arms around her waist and realised she was kneeling on the floor and let Glorfindel bring her to her feet. He swung her up into his arms knowing that it would be quicker than her running even carrying her and started running to the high flet where Dany was.

* * *

Dany had ran and ran until she could no longer see the glimmering lights of the talans. She blindly started to climb the ladder up to the platform, eyes watering and nose running. Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest as she looked down, wiping her nose with her sleeve. The breeze ruffled her hair as she turned back again and continued to ascend the trunk of the tree.

She pulled herself onto the platform, shaking, and she looked down. It was as tall as a small block of flats and the platform wasn't very wide.

Adrenalin pumped through her veins as she swung her legs over the edge, red, dirty converse knocking together. God, why had she brought herself up here?

She felt sick to her stomach and was breathless from running so hard, then she leant on her back with her legs still over the edge and began to sob. Dany's cries came out as chokes as all emotions and thoughts from the past few days burst out of her like a dam, making Dany bury her face in her hands and her chest feel as heavy as an anvil. Thoughts of Sauron sending for her and Legolas not being able to love her whizzed around her mind, making her eyes sting again and her head feel dizzy. She just wanted to go home; to escape this world and to be with her family and friends…

Her mother would know what to do. She would make her hot chocolate and give her a hot water bottle and tuck her into bed, stroking her hair and comforting her. Oh, how her heart felt so heavy, it _ached._

Dany felt so _useless _here. She had no right to be in the Fellowship; she would only endanger them all by being there. Sauron could _hurt _her friends through her. The thought made Dany physically retch. Without her Charlie could fulfil her purpose, she was the one sent by the Valar after all. She was strong and kind and selfless, whereas Dany was weak and nasty and selfish.

_I'm a monster. _Dany thought to herself, and flashbacks from the mines made her sob harder. The faces of the goblins she had killed haunted her, and she swore she could feel her blood heat again under her kin.

"NO! NOT AGAIN!" she cried, "I CAN'T BE HER! I CAN'T BE HER!"

Dany stomped the ground with her feet and slapped her forehead. And above everything else, she had to have a crush on Legolas. But it was more than a crush, she didn't just want to sleep with him, she wanted him to love her…

Was this love?

She was unsure. She had never been in love before.

But that didn't matter anyway. An Elf could never love her. It had never happened before, she would grow old and die but Legolas would stay youthful and linger on in the world, and would eventually fade if he was distraught enough. It would be better for everyone if Legolas married a beautiful Elf and had full-elven heirs, and he could love her for eternity, and Dany couldn't give him that.

Galadriel said her fate was connected with the One Ring, so if the Valar connected Charlie to it by allowing her to go home after its disposal, what did Sauron plan for her?

Death.

Dany knew the answer.

She had to go home.

No-one would miss her anyway.

* * *

"DANY! DANY!" Legolas screamed. By the Valar, what was she doing?

Haldir and Orophin looked panicked as they waited at the base of the tree. "I thought it would be best if we waited for you," Haldir said breathlessly, his usually cool exterior had deteriorated and his expression was one of worry. Legolas nodded furiously, not speaking and he climbed as fast as his limbs could carry him; never before had he been so desperate. "Dany!" Legolas had reached the platform and pulled himself up.

"Stay there!" Dany shouted croakily at him. Her voice was raw and broken, coming out as a mere rasp. Legolas stopped in his tracks as he saw her sitting on the edge, legs swinging lazily underneath her.

"Dany?" he whispered. Was she really contemplating death?

"I'm sorry Legolas," Dany sniffled, "But I need to go home."

Go home? But if she fell she would leave everyone behind, including him. Did he not matter to her? The thought of it made his blood freeze beneath his skin as he slowly edged forward, being careful to not draw too much attention to his advancement. His heart was beating a mile a minute in his ribcage, even facing the spiders of Mirkwood and a battalion of orcs didn't make him this nervous. "Why do you want to go home?"

"Because I don't belong here!" Dany cried, "Charlie belongs here! She was the one sent by the Valar! I wasn't!"

Legolas frowned, what on Middle Earth did she mean by that? "By what do you mean?"

Dany sighed as another tear slid down her cheek and she sniffled. "Sauron sent for me." Legolas had to refrain from gasping. "The Valar brought Charlie here because she's kind and strong and smart, but Sauron sent for me because I'm dangerous."

After Rúmil had fetched him all Legolas felt was anger and worry; but now he was deeply upset. How could she? How could she do this to everyone?

"Aye, you can be, but you can control it," Legolas answered and edged forward again.

"But what if I hurt you, or Charlie, or Glorfindel?"

"You won't hurt us," Legolas reassured her, "I trust you."

Dany swallowed, her throat burning from all the crying. "Y-you trust me?"

"With all my heart."

Dany's heart fluttered. How many people could say that someone else had that much trust in them?

"But I need to go home."

By now Legolas had sat down beside her, reaching for her trembling hands. "How will taking your own life send you home?"

"I fell off a building and I appeared here, so if I fall I will go home," Dany reasoned and Legolas sighed. Always a woman of logic. Couldn't she see that her words were hurting him?

"If you fall you will die," he said to her sternly, gathering her warm hands into his own and giving them a light squeeze. "And none of us want that."

Anger flashed across Dany's face and she ripped her hands from Legolas' grasp. "Maybe I want to die!"

Ice stabbed through Legolas' chest as she slipped closer to the edge of the platform, thighs resting dangerously over the wood. "Y-you can't possibly mean that," Legolas whispered, his voice breaking.

Dany looked up to the night-sky, eyes glistening with fresh tears, and shrugged. It was such an innocent gesture which reminded Legolas that she had only lived a hundredth of his lifetime, and that she wanted to end hers so prematurely. "The stars are so pretty out here."

Legolas couldn't take it anymore. He had not let tears fall for almost a century, always priding himself on keeping calm and masking any emotions. It was what a prince should do; he had to set an example for his soldiers. But now he wasn't a prince. He was just Legolas. He always had been.

Legolas' vision began to blur as tears started to swim in his blue eyes and he wiped them away with the back of his hand.

"Oh Eru," he sighed and swallowed the lump in his throat. His mind was foggy as he tried to grasp his emotions. Dany was still gazing at the stars, and he could see that her eyes were red and puffy and that there were old and fresh tear tracks running like rivers down her flushed cheeks. "Aye… they are pretty."

Dany knocked her feet together as they dangled over the edge, and a gust of wind made her eyes sting and hair whip around her face. "Have- have you ever thought about death?" she asked Legolas. The weight in her chest was sinking, almost as if it was urging her to jump.

"Yes."

Dany looked at him, surprised. "Is suicide frowned upon in Elven society?"

Legolas sniffled and swallowed again. "Yes."

"Why did you…?"

"I shall tell you another time." Legolas didn't look up. Dany supposed that Elves weren't perfect after all. It was then when the leaves rustled above her and the sound of Charlie crying below made Dany realise something.

"I don't want to die," she murmured and the Elf raised his head, "I just want to go home. I have a job, a family, friends, a house… I have a purpose in my world."

"You have purpose here," Legolas said to her, "Just as much as Charlie."

"But if I fall I'll go back,"

"If you fall you will never wake up!" Legolas snapped and Dany flinched slightly. She clenched her jaw as Legolas shuffled, albeit ungracefully this time, toward her and he grasped her hands again. They were so warm and comforting enclosed around her own, how could she leave him? How could she leave _Charlie_?

A wave of guilt and sadness washed over her like a waterfall as she thought about her best friend beneath the eaves of the tree. Dany felt like she was going to be sick again while her throat closed up and her eyes burned with salty tears.

"Don't cry Dany, you'll just make me cry," Legolas sniffled. That was what Charlie had said to her back in Rivendell, when she had first awoken in Middle Earth, the thing that had started it all.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry…" Dany choked out and she grabbed fistfuls of Legolas' silver tunic and pulled him into her. "I'm so sorry…"

The fabric smelled of tears as she cried and cried and cried, and she even felt a few tears slip onto her shoulder from Legolas' eyes as he gently stroked her back. "I'm sorry too…" his voice was raw when he whispered to her, clutching her tight to her chest like he would never let her go. "Goheno nin…"

"I'm so sorry, so so sorry…"


End file.
